Joe Worrall, on loan from Nottingham Forest, scored for Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox club Glasgow Rangers against Aberdeen.
Glasgow Rangers assistant manager Gary McAllister has echoed Steven Gerrard’s praise about Joe Worrall and insisted he hasn’t been aware of any criticism aimed towards the player.
The on-loan Nottingham Forest defender netted his first goal for the Ibrox club, the equaliser against Aberdeen on Sunday, to earn Rangers a Scottish Cup quarter-final replay and a potential Hampden Park clash with Celtic in the last four.
Worrall, an England Under-21 international, gifted Kilmarnock a goal in a 2-1 defeat immediately after the winter break but he has bounced back and helped Rangers keep seven clean sheets in his subsequent nine appearances.
“In the last four or five games he has been excellent,” McAllister told Sky Sports News. “I’m unaware of the criticism he has been getting. We just focus on how he trains and how he prepares for games, and he’s been excellent.
“He has been a particular stand-out in the last three or four games, shown a bravery to get on the ball and pass the ball, and it was nice to see him get the goal.”
Gerrard had previously told Rangers’ official Twitter page that he thought Worrall was “terrific” and added: “What a big goal! He just kept his team in the cup, and McGregor keeps us in the cup at the other end.”
According to Transfermarkt, Worrall has made 18 Scottish Premiership appearances this term and 27 in all competitions, while his Forest tally – where he’s contracted until June 2020 – stands at 26 appearances.
Rangers are second in the Scottish top flight table at the moment with 58 points from 28 matches, eight points behind leaders and bitter Old Firm rivals Celtic, and return to league action on Friday when they travel to Easter Road to face Hibernian.
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