Graeme Murty lauds Niko Kranjcar after Rangers exit

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Glasgow Rangers confirmed that Niko Kranjcar had left Ibrox after a torrid spell last week.

Graeme Murty has told Rangers’ official website that he deems Niko Kranjcar to be one of the best players that he has seen up close after the Croatian’s time with Rangers was brought to an end last week.

Kranjcar was signed ahead of the Gers’ return to the Scottish Premiership in 2016. Having battled injury issues for much of his career and having arrived off the back of a spell with New York Cosmos, it was always going to be a gamble to bring him to Ibrox.

But unfortunately, the 33-year-old failed to prove that it would be an inspired gamble as he made just 16 Scottish Premiership appearances for the club before his release was confirmed last week.

But while the move may not have worked out, Murty was quick to heap praise upon the Croatian playmaker and expressed his regret at how the move has played out for both parties.

“Niko has been a top professional and has worked extremely hard. He obviously hasn’t had the best of time with injuries, but we have made the decision, mutually, to go our separate ways and we wish Niko all the best,” he told the club’s official website.

“Personally, for me, he has been really good to work with and is a good guy to have around. Technically, he is possibly the best player I have seen up close as a coach, but we just thought it was appropriate, and respectful to him, to allow him to seek out that next challenge.”

It would have probably surprised few supporters that Kranjcar was allowed to leave – the timing may have taken some aback perhaps – as it was becoming apparent that he was not going to be able to make the kind of impact that he would have hoped to make when he arrived during Mark Warburton’s tenure.

And given that he is a player who has spent a large chunk of his career in the Premier League, it would not have been a surprise if he was earning a decent wage during his time at Ibrox, and the club may perhaps feel that those funds would be better off being invested elsewhere.