Michael O’Halloran gives Rangers boss Graeme Murty food for thought

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Glasgow Rangers forward Michael O’Halloran appears to have given Ibrox boss Graeme Murty just a small something to think about.

After a successful loan spell at St Johnstone earlier in the season, Michael O’Halloran could perhaps be forgiven for kicking himself that he did not manage to get another move away from Rangers during the January transfer window.

He may have wondered whether Graeme Murty replacing Pedro Caixinha while he was away would prove to be the catalyst to help his Ibrox career finally get up and running, and thus, he may have initially wanted to see whether there was hope for him with the Gers when he did return.

However, more than two months since coming back to his parent club, O’Halloran is still awaiting the chance to make a matchday squad with the first-team, let alone actually get out on the pitch and play. And as the business end of the season sees the pressure ramped up on every game, it would be no surprise if the 27-year-old goes into the summer having not played a minute of competitive football for Murty’s men.

But perhaps O’Halloran has just given Murty a very small something to think about as he scored Rangers’ goal in a bounce game against St Mirren on Tuesday ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm clash.

The side featured several first-team players so Murty would have undoubtedly had a keen eye on the game, so the fact that O’Halloran scored will not have escaped his attention.

It is highly unlikely that one goal will change the forward’s situation too drastically. At the end of the day, Rangers’ attacking options are looking lethal right now – so much so, that hat-trick hero Jason Cummings may not start on Sunday – and several of the Gers fans would probably have O’Halloran nowhere near the pecking order at the moment.

But if O’Halloran can build on the goal and score a few more in the behind closed doors games, and perhaps for the under-20s if given a chance, then perhaps he may give his hopes of salvaging his Rangers career the slightest boost if there are a host of injuries that leave Murty needing to make a raft of changes.