Jermain Defoe reaction shows Rangers may have pulled off bigger Dan Neil coup than first thought
Jermain Defoe has always spoken highly of his time at Rangers.
That has not changed with his most recent verdict, following the signing of Dan Neil.
The 24-year-old has arrived on a free transfer following the expiration of his Sunderland contract.
Neil spent the second half of last season on loan at Ipswich, where he earned his second successive promotion to the Premier League
Putting pen to paper to sign a three-year deal, Neil arrives as the Gers aim to lift their first title since 2021 under Derek McInnes.
Reacting to the signing, Defoe was in high spirits, and had plenty of positive words to say about the Govan side.
What makes Rangers and Dan Neil the perfect combination
Speaking to Sky Sports on the move, former striker Defoe spoke on the impact he has had in the Neil move, alongside previous transfers.
"It's quite funny. Any of the boys going to Rangers, they call me. The Mikey Moore one, I was on holiday and Mikey called me and said 'I've got a chance of going to Rangers, what do you think?' and I said 'you've got to go.'"
"For a young player to experience what I experienced, it's a special football club, and I always knew Rangers were a big club, but I didn't know how big.
"Dan Neil, he called me the other day. Before he even spoke, I said 'honestly, you are a young player, and if you get a chance to go to Rangers at this stage of your career and play in front of some of the best fans I've experienced, you have to go," he added.
On the move itself, Defoe also had plenty to say.
"They are signing a top young player. He's a good character, he works hard.
"That is one of the demands there, you have to run, you have to work hard and give everything when you wear that shirt, and you have to win, so good luck my friend."
Arriving on a free transfer, Gers fans could be in for a treat with Neil, should he live up to the praise of the former striker.
Rangers must replicate Jermain Defoe trait as Derek McInnes rebuild commences
Even in retirement, Defoe 'gets' Rangers unlike a lot of others out there.
In 74 appearances for the Gers, he scored 32 times and registered 10 assists, but it would be his experience and character that saw him win over the supporters at Ibrox.
Signing under Steven Gerrard, he remained a model professional, someone setting an example for any youngster at a time in which the club themselves were firing on all cylinders.
In the years since his departure, he has held Rangers in high regard each time he mentions the club, and really hammers home what it should mean to play at Ibrox.
If Rangers are to succeed under McInnes, these traits need to be replicated.
Those on the pitch must feel the weight of the shirt, and follow in the footsteps of characters like Defoe, who completely embraced the place even if it was for a relatively short period.