Rangers transfer move makes 'mad' Ibrox impact as it creates difference nothing else can
The January signing has been a revelation at Ibrox this season
Former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday believes winter addition Tuur Rommens has had a ‘mad’ impact at Ibrox as he continues to impress in a blue jersey.
The 23-year old was a relative unknown before making his move from Belgian Pro League side Westerlo for a fee of around £3.5m. It was originally thought that Rommens came in to give Brentford loanee Jayden Meghoma some competition for places, as Rangers were at times too reliant on the 19-year old, however he has since made the left back position his own.
An aggressive, assured defender who isn’t afraid to get forward, Rommens is a player who instantly caught the eye of Halliday, who was at times deployed at left back himself during his five years in Govan. The former Hearts and current Motherwell man believes Rommens is already exceeding expectations at Ibrox.
Halliday on ‘mad’ Rommens impact
Speaking on Open Goal’s Keeping the Ball on the Ground podcast, the Motherwell man said: “It seems a bit mad to say that a left-back is so big considering he only just came in January. But what you’ve seen over the handful of games he has played, he’s always in the box. I don’t have the stats to back it up, but it feels like he has created more chances than anybody else on the pitch when he has played. Underlaps, overlaps, I think he has made a massive difference since coming.”
The statistics in fact do back up Halliday’s claim, as Rommens has two goal contributions to his name from defence in his five league starts. On average, the Belgian also creates one big chance for his teammates per game. Rommens has missed Rangers’ last two outings through a quad injury, but should be ready for a return for the split fixtures, starting with Motherwell at Ibrox this Sunday.
A future captain?
Another man who boasts impressive attacking numbers from defence is captain James Tavernier, who announced he will be leaving the club at the end of the season upon the expiration of his contract. The 34-year has been at the club for over a decade and has scored 144 goals from right back in all competitions. He is now looking to bow out with a league trophy.
While Rommens’ countryman, Nico Raskin is the obvious candidate to take the arm band, the credentials of the defender should not be overlooked. He has leadership experience, having captained the Belgium under-21 National Team and while only being 23 years of age, he already has over 100 top flight career appearances to his name. While it may be slightly too early to give him the responsibility now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Rommens given more responsibility in the future.