Dalcio has struggled to make any sort of an impression at Rangers – but his former Benfica attacking partner Heriberto Tavares is on fire.
Rangers fans might have thought they had seen the last of Dalcio. The 21-year-old winger, who signed on loan from Benfica in the summer, had been completely frozen out of the Rangers side since that humiliating Europa League qualifying defeat to Progres Niederkorn in the first week of July.
Therefore, supporters will have been rubbing their eyes in disbelief when the lesser-spotted Dalcio emerged from the bench to replace Daniel Candeias in the final few seconds of the 4-1 thrashing of Hamilton prior to the international break.
Whether Dalcio can push on from this most cameo of cameo appearances is another matter. Obviously, the Portuguese youngster needs time to adapt to a new league, language and culture but it’s fair to say those performances against Luxembourg minnows Progres did not offer much hope that he could make the grade.
And considering that his former Benfica B team-mate is shining over in Iberia, did Caixinha simply sign the wrong man in the summer?
Young Eagle learning to fly
20-year-old Heriberto Tavares continues to earn rave reviews in The Eagles reserve team and has taken his development to a new level entirely this season. In nine games, Tavares has five goals and he looks a far more rounded, mature and composed forward than the erratic, bambi-on-ice Dalcio.
Blessed with real skill and a laser-like finish, Tavares is a raw but exciting talent.
Perhaps Caixinha will use his Portuguese connections in an attempt to bring more Benfica youngsters over to Ibrox. And Tavares should be first on his list.
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