Rangers secured a number of January signings, and James Sands has now been hailed by a familiar face to Scottish football – Ronny Deila.
The Gers are in Europa League action tonight and will be hoping to shock many by beating Borussia Dortmund.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst needs some big results after that dismal 3-0 defeat to Celtic, and he has at least been boosted by January recruitment.
Aaron Ramsey was the headline addition, arriving on loan from Juventus.
Yet add in the loan signing of Amad Diallo as well as deals for Mateusz Zukowski and James Sands and Rangers look to have strengthened.
Sands follows a long line of American players to turn out for Rangers, such as Claudio Reyna, DeMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu, Carlos Bocanegra, Alejandro Bedoya, Gedion Zelalem, Emerson Hyndman and Matt Polster.
Some of those more recent names haven’t quite worked out for Rangers, but there are high hopes for Sands.
Sands, 21, racked up almost 80 appearances for New York City FC in Major League Soccer, turning out as a midfielder or centre back.
Sands has only featured three times for Rangers so far, but at just 21 there is hope that he will become a first-team fixture down the line.
The current deal is that Sands will be on loan at Rangers until next summer, but the Gers have an option to buy at any time.
If anybody knows Sands, it’s the former Celtic boss Ronny Deila, who coached the youngster during their time together at NYCFC.
The pair won the MLS Cup together last season and Deila absolutely loves Rangers’ new man.
Deila, as quoted by the Glasgow Evening Times, claims that Sands ‘does everything perfect’, always the first player to arrive and the last to leave for training.
Deila did though admit that it will be tough for Sands in Scotland and will need to be ready to suffer in order to become a star.
“Last year, the one role model I wanted every player at the club to look up to was James Sands,” said Deila. “He was also first in the facility, he always did the most in the gym, he’s the latest to leave. He always does everything perfect. He wants to learn and everyday goes 100 percent. When those type of players get what they want, that’s just an amazing feeling as a coach. So that’s why I’m really, really happy for James. And when you leave having won [the MLS Cup], then that’s something I respect.
“But it’s going to be tough for him in Scotland because he’s jumping to another level – maybe not football wise so much better, I don’t think so. But the pressure and the environment, moving away from New York and his family and into an environment where 50 percent of the city hates you and 50 percent loves you – and that’s only when you’re playing well!
“That’s a new experience for him and at the age of 21 that’s going to make him a better player. But you have to suffer sometimes in life to get what you want. But James knows how to act and to think during this period and he just has to get better. Then he will break into the team. So we will see – but I’m still a Celtic fan, I can tell you that!” he added.
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