Van Bronckhorst called reported Rangers and Celtic target a ‘great talent’ in 2016

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Renato Tapia has been linked with Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic and Rangers – despite struggling in the Eredivisie with Feyenoord.

Almost two decades after Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his trusty left peg sauntered off into the sunset, bidding farewell to a trophy-laden spell at Ibrox, the legendary left-back still remains a real fans’ favourite on the blue half of Glasgow.

So, with one of his former Feyenoord players tipped to follow in the Dutchman’s footsteps with a move Scotland’s second city, Rangers supporters everywhere will no doubt be keen to know what Van Bronckhorst thinks about a certain Renato Tapia.

According to Voetbal International, Steven Gerrard’s side could snap up the Peruvian international on a cut-price fee with his contract at De Kuip due to expire in July. Celtic, their time-honoured, Old Firm neighbours, are interested too.

But, despite Van Bronckhorst’s gushing praise when Tapia initially arrived from FC Twente as a wide eyed teen with the world at his feet, the 24-year-old never really managed to win over his coach in Rotterdam.

“I see him as a boost for Feyenoord. He’s a great talent and has been playing for several years in the Netherlands. When the opportunity arose to bring him to Feyenoord, we were convinced we had to do so,” Van Bronckhorst told AOL in 2016.

To say that Tapia hasn’t lived up to expectations at De Kuip would be an understatement.

The silky South American is one of the club’s biggest disappointments of recent years, failing to establish himself as anything other than a squad player at one of Holland’s traditional ‘big three’. He made just one league start as Feyenoord won the Eredivisie for the first time in the 21st century during his debut season and has been linked with a move away ever since.

So fans of Rangers and Celtic should view this potential newcomer with a great deal of suspicion. He may be stylish and easy on the eye but 24 league starts in four years is a damning indictment of a player who was expected to produce so much more.