Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers earned an excellent result on Thursday.
Speaking to The Record, Steven Gerrard has praised ‘outstanding’ Rangers defender Joe Worrall.
Rangers twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw away to Villarreal in their Europa League opener on Thursday.
Gerrard raised eyebrows before a ball was even kicked by benching Nikola Katic to give Worrall a debut, since joining on loan from Nottingham Forest.
The 21-year-old was partially to blame for the Gers falling behind inside the first minute, but Gerrard was delighted with the young centre-back.
He told The Record: “I put him right in the deep end. He was in a sink or swim situation.
“When a manager gives you your debut away in the Europa League, against a side of this level, it was a big ask for him to come in and perform. I thought he was outstanding.”
It was a serious gamble by Gerrard, given how well Katic and Goldson had performed alongside one another this season, but it probably paid off.
Okay so it wasn’t an ideal start for Worrall, or Goldson, but the youngster grew into the game well and he’ll be delighted with his performance for 89 minutes.
It’ll be interesting to know what Gareth McAuley thought of Worrall’s display. On one hand he will be delighted, because he is a team-mate and the team comes first, but it makes it much harder for the Northern Ireland veteran to break into the first XI, when he returns to full fitness.
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