Nikola Katic justified his recall for Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has explained to Sky Sports why he recalled Nikola Katic yesterday.
The Gers thrashed Livingston 3-0 to move back to within three points of top-of-the-table Celtic in the Premiership title race.
Victory was essential for a Rangers side that lost 2-1 at Kilmarnock in midweek, with centre-backs Joe Worrall and Gareth McAuley enduring very difficult nights.
Gerrard replaced McAuley with Katic on Sunday in what was the Croat’s first start since November.
The 22-year-old, a £2 million summer signing [The Scottish Sun], was brilliant earlier in the season for Gerrard, before his form dipped, but the Blues boss reveals that the young powerhouse was making it ‘very hard’ not to pick him as of late.
“He’s a good player. He’s been pushing hard and working hard in training. I took him out of the firing line a while ago just to help him because he was a young kid,” he told Sky Sports.
“But he’s been making it very hard for me when I’ve been picking teams. So he deserves this chance and it’s a fantastic opportunity for him to come in and defend well.”
It was a steady, accomplished performance from Katic on his return to Gerrard’s first XI.
Worrall was the obvious name to drop out following his clanger at Rugby Park, but the Nottingham Forest loanee was similarly impressive yesterday.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
