The Ibrox boss was left hugely impressed by his summer Rangers signing.
Helander was defensively resolute throughout the 90 minutes in Portugal, helping his side massively in their efforts to gain a point.
It’s a result that keeps the Gers in the hunt for qualification to the knockout stages. With two home games to come in the final three matches, there will be real hope they can progress.
The Ibrox boss was left delighted by his team’s performance all-round, but singled out the Swedish international as a player to particularly praise.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Gerrard said: “I thought Filip Helander arrived tonight. I thought he showed the reason why we’ve got so much faith in him and why we paid the money for him.
“It was a performance full of composure and experience; where to be positionally, how to follow runners, how to be switched on, how to manage a game.”
What next for Helander?
Gerrard is clearly thrilled to see one of his big summer investments play so well and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the player now keep his place in the team at the expense of Nikola Katic.
The Rangers manager often rewards strong performances with more appearances. His ‘arrived’ statement suggests he’s been waiting on that kind of display from the defender.
With strong competition at the back, he’ll have to maintain those levels to continue to be selected, but turning up on such a big occasion will have banked a lot of goodwill not just with his manager, but also supporters.
It’s on him to use it as a springboard for future success.
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