Glasgow Rangers produced a superb win, with the Ibrox loanee enjoying a fantastic afternoon.
Steven Gerrard has admitted to Rangers’ official website that he nearly passed out in the stand when he saw Jermain Defoe lay the ball off for Scott Arfield for the Gers’ third goal against Motherwell rather than take the shot on himself.
Defoe has probably not been involved in too many 3-0 wins in his career in which he has not scored, but he experienced that kind of afternoon on Sunday at Fir Park as Arfield bagged a superb hat-trick.
In truth, Rangers fans have rarely seen Defoe play better. He played a key role in Arfield’s first and won the ball back in the build-up to the third as he burst into the box.
But instead of shooting, Defoe played the ball across to Arfield, who guided his shot into the bottom corner to complete his treble. Most would have put their money on the Englishman having a shot when he went into the box rather than passing the ball – and it appears that Gerrard would have been one of those.
“I nearly passed out in the stand – that’s not the Jermain Defoe I know! But I think he has respected his teammate by giving him his hat-trick, and I’m sure Scotty would have done the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot,” he told Rangers’ official website when asked about the striker’s assist.
“So that was excellent and it’s Scotty Arfield’s day, but I am sure he would recognise it was a fantastic team performance that helped him get his hat-trick.”
Defoe led the line superbly, and there appears to be some mileage for Rangers in a potential partnership where Arfield plays just off him and runs beyond him when the chance presents itself.
It certainly says a lot about the team spirit within the Gers dressing room that Defoe – who will go down as one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history due to his ruthless instinct – was happy to pass up the opportunity to help his teammate reach a landmark.
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