Glasgow Rangers are reportedly keen to bring James Collins to Ibrox this summer with his contract expiring.
When Rangers signed Clint Hill on a free transfer ahead of their return to the Scottish Premiership, few would have imagined that the veteran centre-back would leave Ibrox a year later having guaranteed himself cult-hero status amongst the Gers fans.
Hill may not have had the flair that Bruno Alves possesses or arrived with the potential that Ross McCrorie currently has, but his tireless displays put a number of his much younger teammates to shame during a campaign that proved to be fairly underwhelming.
While Hill’s age and Pedro Caixinha’s signings last summer would have probably meant that his game-time would have been reduced considerably if he had stayed another year, there is no doubt, with the benefit of hindsight, that he was a huge loss to the Light Blues this past season due to his incredible attitude.
But perhaps Steven Gerrard has uncovered the potential target who could succeed Hill as Rangers’ next cult-hero with The Scottish Sun recently reporting that the Gers are keen on signing James Collins following the end of his West Ham contract.
Like Hill when he joined, Collins has reached the twilight of his career and will not be the long-term answer to Rangers’ defensive issues, but judging by the esteem that he was held in by the West Ham supporters, he has the potential to be a fantastic addition to the Gers’ ranks this summer.
The Welshman was extremely popular at the London Stadium and the club’s board have arguably put pressure on themselves ahead of the summer by letting him go, even though he hardly played a prominent role in the Premier League this past season.
Rangers perhaps need more of those almost inspirational figures that boast an enormous amount of experience in their ranks this coming season, and Collins has the kind of attitude that could see him become an extremely popular figure at Ibrox just as he was at West Ham, even if he is not the kind of defender that will solve all of the Gers’ problems at the back on his own.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
