Stephen Craigan hails Gerrard’s decision to sign Gareth McAuley

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Rangers lured defender Gareth McAuley to Ibrox earlier this month.

Pundit Stephen Craigan has told BT Sport that he thinks Rangers boss Steven Gerrard made a smart move in bringing Gareth McAuley to Ibrox.

Gerrard was hugely backed as Rangers boss in the transfer market before the August 31^st deadline, bringing in 14 signings including three centre backs, three midfielders, three wingers and two strikers.

However, with centre backs Nikola Katic and Joe Worrall inexperienced and Connor Goldson not really a veteran himself, Gerrard decided to dip into the market one more time after the deadline.

Free agent defender McAuley had been without a club since leaving West Bromwich Albion at the end of last season, and he was handed a dream move to Ibrox.

The 38-year-old grew up supporting Rangers over in Northern Ireland, and the Gers-mad centre back unsurprisingly jumped at the chance to join Gerrard’s side on a free transfer until the end of the season.

With more than 200 Premier League appearances and 79 Northern Ireland caps to his name, McAuley brings huge experience, which will be vital for Katic and Worrall as they make their way in the game.

Now, McAuley’s former international teammate Stephen Craigan has told BT Sport that, having conceded last-minute equalisers away at Motherwell and Aberdeen, Gerrard has made a smart move to add an experienced defender to help him get his messages across to his players in crunch situations.

Craigan added that McAuley can be the aggressive defender Rangers need to just get rid of the ball against direct sides late in games, believing that Rangers’ season could have been so different already if they had held on in those games.

“What he will have learnt is that, losing a last minute goal at Motherwell, losing a last minute goal at Aberdeen, things could have been so much different,” said Craigan. “As a young manager, in games he has got to trust his players and get that information across, which is why I’m not surprised he’s signed Gareth McAuley.”

“6ft 4in centre half, away from home, particularly at Motherwell and Hamilton, where the games are going to be scrappy and it’s not always going to be plain sailing, you might need an outstanding, aggressive centre half to go and clear the ball, and play a different style,” he added.