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Football

18th May 2018

Steven Gerrard targets Shane Duffy’s understudy as his fourth Rangers signing

Patrick McCarry

Scott Arfield, Allan McGregor and Jamie Murphy are all in, but Steven Gerrard is not finished yet.

The former Liverpool captain has not stopped since he was confirmed as Rangers manager and has already made significant additions to his coaching and playing staff.

Arfield looked to be Ibrox-bound even before Gerrard got the top job but Gers fans will be delighted to see McGregor return. Murphy, meanwhile, had been on loan at the club for several months last season.

Interestingly enough, as we exclusively reported earlier this month, one of Gerrard’s first recruitment moves was to send a text to Irish star Wes Hoolahan after he played his final game for Norwich. The 35-year-old is said to fancy a move away to sunnier climes to see out his professional career.

No harm in trying but the Hoolahan set-back seems to be a mere bump in the road to Gerrard.

The 37-year-old has been linked with Liverpool’s Dominic Solanke, who scored against Brighton last week, and Bournemouth’s Jermaine Defoe. However, according to reports in the UK, Gerrard and assistant manager Gary McAllister are determined to ‘build from the back’.

That started, of course, with McGregor and the next step is, according to The Argus, is a move for a player who spent most of last season as centre-back understudy to Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk.

The Brighton newspaper claims Rangers have already had one offer for Connor Goldson rejected but that they are prepared to improve upon that.

Goldson, who is a lifelong Liverpool fan, played eight times for Brighton last season, started two games over the festive period when Duffy was suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards.

The 25-year-old last featured for Chris Hughton’s side in their 4-0 loss to Liverpool on the final day of the season. The promise of regular, first team football and playing in front of large crowds at Ibrox for Gerrard, a man he grew up admiring, may yet see Goldson make the trip north.

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