Rangers January arrival 'reminds me of Paul Pogba', says former team-mate and Scotland ace
A Rangers midfield ace has been likened to the World Cup winner and former Man Utd star
Rangers midfielder Tochi Chukwuani has earned praise of the highest order as he continues to settle into life at Ibrox, after he was compared with a World Cup winner by a former team-mate.
When asked about the 22-year-old, former Sturm Graz team-mate Max Johnston said Chukwuani reminded him of Paul Pogba due to their similar frame and natural abilities across both the defensive and attacking phases of the game. With Pogba being a former world champion with France and having starred for some of the biggest clubs in the world such as Manchester United and Juventus, Gers fans will be delighted to hear of the comparison for their January acquisition.
Chukwuani signed for Rangers from the Austrian Bundesliga side for £4million in the winter window and has already made 10 appearances for Rangers, scoring once in the 8-0 Scottish Cup thumping over Queen’s Park. He has now been compared with a player regarded by many as one of the most talented midfielders of his generation in Pogba – a man whose career heights he will no doubt hope to imitate.
Chukwuani compared with Pogba by former team-mate
Four-cap Scotland international Johnston, who is currently at Derby County but was formerly Chukwuani’s team-mate at Sturm Graz, told the Daily Record: “The first player who comes to my mind when I think of Tochi is Pogba, because he’s got that big frame. He’s tall, strong, powerful but he also has that technical ability on the ball as well. That’s the kind of player I think of when I see Tochi play.
“I was buzzing for him when he got the move to Rangers. I didn’t want to get too involved but I remember texting him at the time. I told him if it went through, it would be really good for him. I thought he’d thrive up there. You need a strong mentality to play at Rangers and Tochi has that. He’s a confident boy. To play at Ibrox, you need that confidence and belief in yourself. Of course, there’s massive expectation there. But he’s a good fit for that as well with his mindset. You can see that in his game. He’s a winner.
“Obviously we won the league together last year in Graz and whether it was in the changing room or at training every day, Tochi was one who would push the standards. He always demanded and wanted better of himself and his team-mates.”
Johnston speaks on the quality Chukwuani will bring to Ibrox
Despite only playing with Chukwuani for a single season before the pair have now both moved elsewhere, Johnston heaped praise on the midfielder: “I loved playing with Tochi. For me, he was a midfielder who could do both sides of the game. He’d do the defensive, dirty work in terms of tackling, running and breaking up play.
“But when he’s on the ball, he’s got that bit of quality as well. He can create chances or make a key pass in the game. He’s also a big lad, really physical, which he uses to his advantage on the pitch. That’s a huge positive for him in his game. He can be a number six or number eight. He can do everything you’d want a midfielder to do for the team. He’ll be a great signing for Rangers.”
Johnston’s father Allan played for Rangers in the early 2000s and so Max knows what it takes to succeed at Ibrox, despite only having played against the Gers during his time at Motherwell.
He added: “[Tochi] didn’t actually ask me about Rangers when the move eventually came about.
“We’d been talking about our Europa League draw last season and he was asking me what it was like in Scotland at big clubs like Rangers. I told him how huge it is and why it would be amazing to play for Rangers. Obviously, I told him my dad played there and loved it. So, I said to Tochi, if he was ever to play in Glasgow, he had to pick the blue side!”
“He’s definitely got the ability to play at an even higher level,” said Johnston. “I always said after I left Graz, along with a few of the other boys, that Tochi would be the next one to leave for a big club and he has by going to Rangers. With his ability and work ethic, it meant he was always destined for a big future in the game.”
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