Barry Ferguson backs Rangers to sign Teddy Sheringham-esque striker Lawrence Shankland after what Philippe Clement did v Hearts
Barry Ferguson has compared Lawrence Shankland to Teddy Sheringham and believes he is a “ready made Rangers centre forward”.
Shankland started as Hearts were beaten at Tynecastle by Philippe Clement’s side, with the Belgian coach giving the striker a big hug at full-time to fuel speculation that he could try to sign him in January.
And former captain Ferguson, while writing in his column for the Daily Record (8 December), shared that he sees a young Sheringham in Shankland and believes he would be a perfect option to come into Ibrox and solve their striker issues.
“Let’s start with Lawrence Shankland who catches my eye every time I see him play for Hearts,” he wrote.
“This guy has improved his game to such an extent over the last couple of years that I’m surprised he’s not been snapped up already but, watching him on Wednesday, I saw a ready made Rangers centre forward.
“I’m not exaggerating when I say his overall game reminds me of a young Teddy Sheringham. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s at Sheringham’s level. But he does have similar attributes in terms of game intelligence and that natural ability to drop into dangerous areas and link up with his team mates.
“So I was very interested at the end of the game to see Clement giving him a big cuddle out there on the pitch and I can’t help but wonder if the Belgian might be thinking what I’m thinking where Shankland is concerned.”
Quality
It doesn’t seem like Rangers will have a truckload of cash to spend in the January transfer window, but Clement has been promised money to spend.
Cyriel Dessers has been nothing short of a disaster since his arrival and while Sam Lammers has played in a deeper role he’s one of the worst signings that fans can remember.
Danilo has been better than both but hasn’t really had the desired impact himself either, and Rangers have to find a solution if they want to catch Celtic and really push on in the second half of the season.
Shankland provides goals, an all-round footballing ability and is less of a gamble than bringing someone in because he already knows the league and performs well.
Clement is obviously a fan and the Rangers legends are out in force to apply pressure too, so Shankland to Ibrox almost certainly is one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks leading up to the window.
In other Rangers news, Ferguson shares if Alfredo Morelos should make a return to Ibrox in January.