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Slow Hearts start justifies Rangers choosing Alfredo Morelos over Kyle Lafferty

Rangers Manager Pedro Caixinha during the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round match between Rangers and Progres Niederkorn at the Ibrox Stad...
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Kyle Lafferty wanted to return to Rangers this summer after being let go by Norwich City – but ended up at Hearts instead.

Kyle Lafferty of Rangers scores during the Clydesdale Bank Premier League match between Rangers and Hearts at Ibrox Stadium on May 7, 2011 in Glasgow, Scotland.> on May 7, 2011 in Glasgow,...

Kyle Lafferty made little secret of his desire to return to former club Rangers this summer when he was finally released from his Norwich City nightmare.

The Daily Record reported earlier in the summer that the Northern Ireland talisman would have jumped at the chance of making a move back to Ibrox five years after he left the club following their liquidation and subsequent demotion to the fourth tier of Scottish football.

Instead, however, Lafferty signed for top flight rivals Hearts on a two-year deal after Rangers turned their attention to other striking options – and his former Rangers team-mate and captain Barry Ferguson even went as far as admitting his surprise that the 29-year-old didn’t return to Glasgow.

“I was surprised he moved to Tynecastle because he could have done a job for Rangers and, let’s be honest, that’s where he wanted to go,” Ferguson told the Daily Record.

Kyle Lafferty (L) of Northern Ireland sees his effort go narrowly wide during the international friendly football match between Northern Ireland and New Zealand at Windsor Park on June 2,...

However, a slow start to life at Hearts could be seen as justifying Rangers’ decision to take a risk on rather left-wing, under-the-radar targets rather than taking the chance to welcome back a player from happier times.

Lafferty has scored just one goal in his first five games for Hearts and he was even dropped to the bench for Saturday’s goalless home draw with Aberdeen.

In the meantime, however, Alfredo Morelos has justified Rangers’ faith in style, ‘El Bufalo’ taking his tally to five in seven with a second successive brace – this time coming in a 4-1 thumping of Dundee. Morelos’ fine form is certainly a complement to Rangers’ scouting department, the Colombian arriving from Finnish football for just £1 million (Daily Record).

Alfredo Morelos of Rangers celebrates scoring the opening goal of the game with his team mates during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Hibernian at Ibrox...

And the 21-year-old’s signing is an indicator of Rangers looking forward towards the future whereas Lafferty would have seemed like a desperate attempt to hark back to the glory days.