Rangers urged to do 'everything in their power' to secure long-term future of star as contract clock ticking

Rangers have been urged to secure the long-term future of right back Dujon Sterling amid his recent resurgence in form.

The 26-year old signed from Chelsea in 2023 on a four-year deal, which was extended the following year. With him now set to leave the club in the summer of 2028, former Manchester United scout Mick Brown has encouraged the Ibrox side to secure his long-term future.

The Englishman has endured a hard time with injuries since his Govan move and wasn’t helped by the fact that James Tavernier held down the right back position for so long. However, now that the former skipper has left, Sterling has came into his own, particularly excelling in their back-to-back victories over Celtic before the international break.

Rangers told to do ‘everything in their power’ to secure Sterling long term

Brown, who remains well-connected in the game, told Football Insider: "Rangers have got to be doing everything in their power to keep their best players at the club. So when there's somebody like Dujon Sterling, who has really impressed this season and established himself as a key part of the squad, they won't want to risk losing him.

"He's still got a couple of years left on his current contract, but that can tick down quicker than you think, it's important to get these players tied down long-term. If he continues to play at the level he has done this season, it will be a no-brainer for them to extend his deal, both to secure their asset and as a reward for his performances."

Sterling played a key role in the Old Firm victories as manager Derek McInnes deployed a man-for-man 3-5-2 formation, which paid off in both games. The physicality and aggression of the full-back, alongside central defenders Emmanuel Fernandez and Olwethu Makhanya. While the attacking output of Tavernier - who scored 140 goals during his 11 years at the club - isn’t expected to be emulated by Sterling, his defensive work alone so far has proved vital.

Hutton on why Sterling doesn’t need to be Tavernier

Pundit Alan Hutton spent six years at Rangers as a right back and is a big fan of Sterling. Speaking to the Daily Record, he explained why Sterling’s work defensively could prove to be just as instrumental as Tavernier’s attacking threat. He said: “The only thing is you ask is maybe in the final third, could he do a little bit better? But are we judging that against the likes of Tavernier and what he brought to this team?

“Today as we stand, I think the Rangers in the front line have got the players which means they now don't necessarily need their right-back to be up there and swinging balls in every two seconds. It means Sterling can focus on the defensive side of it, which is good.

“Nobody can live up to the record Tavernier had at the top end of the pitch. That's like a one-off situation. His goals and assists were absolutely phenomenal. Everybody will look at Sterling and they'll judge him against what Tav did. But I think there has to be a balance within it because you have to ask, what do you want as your defender?

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