Steven Gerrard praises Glasgow Rangers striker Jermain Defoe

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Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers have brought in Jermain Defoe on loan, but he is yet to nail down a spot in Steven Gerrard’s starting line-up.

Steven Gerrard has told the Herald Scotland that Glasgow Rangers striker Jermain Defoe has impressed him massively in training.

Defoe joined Rangers in the January transfer window, but he hasn’t made the impact on the field that many were hoping for at Ibrox.

Defoe has generally played second fiddle to Alfredo Morelos since he moved to Rangers.

However, the veteran forward was on the scoresheet in midweek as Gerrard’s men beat Hearts 3-0.

And Gerrard insists that Defoe’s attitude has been brilliant ever since he walked in the door at Ibrox.

“He has been impeccable around the training ground since he walked in,” Gerrard said.

“After training sessions, he is pulling Josh McPake and young Dapo (Mebude) and doing an extra 10 or 15 minutes with them from a coaching side.

“He is not being asked to do that. He actually wants to give back to these young, up and coming strikers.

“That is gold-dust for us as a staff to have players like Jermain and Gareth McAuley around. Whatever he is doing, his standards are at Rangers-level. And that’s another reason we wanted to bring him in.”

Defoe looks set to get a run of games in Rangers’ starting line-up now, with Morelos suspended.

The 36-year-old really has the chance to prove that he should be Rangers’ number one striker for the remainder of the season, despite Morelos’ impressive scoring record this season.

Gerrard’s side are next in action at the weekend, when they take on Motherwell.