Rangers allowed Juninho Bacuna to leave Ibrox in January – and he is already making a big impact with new club Birmingham City.
The Gers signed Bacuna from Huddersfield Town in August with Steven Gerrard keen to add some more creativity in midfield.
Exiled at Huddersfield because he wouldn’t sign a new contract, Bacuna looked like a bargain addition for Rangers if something of a punt.
Bacuna made a promising start to life under Gerrard, leading to the then-Rangers boss calling him a ‘major talent’.
However, Gerrard left for Aston Villa in November and Bacuna seemingly didn’t do enough to convince Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Rangers allowed Bacuna to leave in January, selling him to Birmingham City with the midfielder making just six league appearances for the Gers.
Bacuna is now featuring prominently for Birmingham boss Lee Bowyer and made a big impact in Saturday’s game against Luton Town.
Persistent work from Lyle Taylor allowed Bacuna a shot at goal in the first half, and he fired the ball into the net.
That goal set Birmingham on their way to a 3-0 win, with Bacuna grabbing his first goal for the Blues.
This is the exact start that Bacuna wanted at Birmingham after such a frustrating period with Rangers, and he will be desperate to prove the Gers wrong for letting him go.
Bowyer has now told the Birmingham Mail that he thinks Bacuna will ‘definitely improve’, praising his technical ability but urging him to improve off the ball.
Bacuna has made a fine start to life at Birmingham, getting back on track after his strange and uneventful few months at Rangers.
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