Rangers utility star's 'perfect' position outlined by Aberdeen-linked boss as he details failed signing bid

Dujon Sterling has proved he can play almost anywhere across the pitch for Rangers - but former Stoke City boss Alex Neil has revealed he tried to convince the utility man to sign a permanently deal with the Potters when his contract at Chelsea expired.

The ex Stamford Bridge youngster joined the Ibrox side under Michael Beale on a free transfer last summer but after a slow start to his Gers career Sterling has emerged as a fans' favourite now that he's working under new boss Philippe Clement.

The 24-year-old has often showcased his versatility, with Clement able to call on him to plug gaps in a team that has been decimated by injuries. To date, Sterling has found himself filling in right across the backline as well as in central midfield or out wide on either flank. Clement even joked last month he'd be willing to try the ex-England youth cap in goals in the unlikely scenario that first-choice keeper Jack Butland was to suffer a drop off in standards.

But former Hamilton, Norwich City and Preston North End manager Neil has confessed he was gutted to miss out on his signature. Neil took Sterling on loan to Stoke City at the start of last season and was eager to convince the player to stay put at the Bet365 Stadium.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Record, Neil said: "We wanted to sign him ourselves. We tried before he went to Rangers but the lure of European football and the opportunity to win prizes was a lot for him. I took him to Stoke last year and he was excellent for us. Physically he’s top notch and defensively too he’s probably one of the best I’ve had. "I’m surprised he’s been playing midfield a lot for Rangers though. I think he did that when he was a kid but we predominantly used him as a right back or at left-back. We even used him at centre-back because he’s quick and powerful. But I’m not surprised to see that he’s broken his way into the Rangers team because I do have such a high opinion of him.

"I always expected him to find his way in somewhere because he has great physical qualities and I’d expect that in the Scottish Premiership, he’d certainly be one of the best in that regard. He’s a good footballer, Dujon. He’s been at Chelsea since he was a kid, he’s had a lot of loan moves too, so he’s had a good footballing education.

"I think he’d been at Blackpool, Wigan before coming to us at Stoke, so he’s well-versed in terms of playing at a couple of different levels and at a few different clubs. Technically he’s good as well - he’s just a good all-round player."

Sterling decided to accept an offer of a four-year deal at Rangers, with the Londoner initially recruited to challenge captain James Tavernier for the right-back slot where he'd spent most of his early career playing. But Neil reckons Sterling will struggle to get regular game time in that position due to the astounding goal scoring exploits of Tavernier, who is closing in on Kris Boyd's epic tally for the Govan outfit.

Neil added: "The biggest difficulty for Dujon is trying to get that right-back position at Ibrox from Tavernier given how many goals the captain offers their team. If Tavernier is not the right-back, I think Dujon would be a perfect fit in there. There’s no doubt about that. The problem is that with Tav, he’s the captain for a start so he’s an influence in the changing room.

"But also the number of goals he scores. You just can’t remove them from your team. Like any good player, however, Dujon will adapt in the meantime and will find himself a slot where he can be effective and show that he’s got other stings to his bow. Clement will try to get as many of his best players on the pitch as he can, and the way upon has been performing, he’s certainly been one of them."

Similarly to Clement, Neil stated he counted on Sterling's ability to adapt quickly to different roles on several occasion if it meant he could help break down opposition teams. He explained: "The biggest thing I always felt about Dujon was that if you played him up against somebody, if you asked him to deal with an individual, then that player would be in for a tough game because he can run, he can pass, he can tackle.

"He’s got all that aspects you’d want. If we had a player in the opposition team who we felt would cause us a problem, Dujon dealt with him. That’s how we felt about him. He could just nullify threats because you can’t get away from him. He’s a type of defender that you need to beat two or three times to get passed him. He was excellent. One v one against any opponent last year, he came out on the right side of it."