Rangers have brought boyhood fan Greg Stewart back to Ibrox.
Former Rangers striker Kane Hemmings has told The Scottish Sun that he wouldn’t be surprised if Ibrox new boy Greg Stewart is at the top of the assist charts next season.
The Gers have decided to snap up Stewart on a free transfer this summer, swooping after Birmingham City decided to release the Scot at the end of his contract.
Stewart’s arrival has divided opinion at Ibrox. On the positive side, he hit eight goals in 16 games for Kilmarnock in the first half of this season, and he’s a boyhood Rangers fan.
The flip side is that Stewart struggled after joining Aberdeen again on loan in January, scoring just twice for the club before leaving Pittodrie for the second time.
Rangers will hope that they get the Kilmarnock version rather than the Aberdeen one, and at 29, he needs to be making an instant impact at Ibrox.
With some fans unconvinced, ex-Rangers striker Hemmings – who played up front alongside Stewart for Dundee – has moved to praise Steven Gerrard’s latest signing.
Hemmings feels that Stewart is tailor-made for a role behind the striker, and will relish the challenge of playing for his boyhood club whilst challenging quality players for first-team football.
Hemmings added that Stewart can see things that others don’t, picking out runs with fine passing and creativity, meaning he’s backing the Rangers new boy to be near the top of the assist charts next season.
“If Rangers play the same way they finished last season, with the two players in behind the striker, then it is almost tailor-made for him,” said Hemmings. “They will be on the ball a lot, so he will love the chance to play people in and run at his opponent. On his day Greg is one of the best attackers in the Premiership and if they can get him on the ball then he will do damage to teams. Rangers have quality players. Jordan Jones and Jake Hastie are going there, Daniel Candeias is there already and Ryan Kent might come back. But Greg will love the challenge of trying to get himself into the team. It will suit him perfectly and training and playing with the likes of Jermain Defoe every day will make him even better.”
“I have known him for years, this is his boyhood dream, the cherry on the cake getting back to the club he loves. I always thought he could reach the very top. It is not like he hasn’t put the work in to get where he is now. Greg is brilliant for attackers and he sees things that other people don’t. Whenever I made a run, nine times out of ten he would find me. He’ll create plenty of chances for the strikers, it will be up to them to put them away. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him up near the top of the assist charts next season,” he added.
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