Ovie Ejaria’s Rangers season-long loan has been cut short.
Stevie Mallan orchestrated Hibernian’s surprise win over Celtic at Easter Road on Sunday afternoon as Neil Lennon’s side beat the Scottish champions 2-0 – and Steven Gerrard should be taking notice of the midfielder’s form.
The 22-year-old sat at the base of the Hibs midfield, pulling the strings and dictating the tempo of play with an array of short and long passing that put Celtic’s three-man defence on the back foot.
Mallan is enjoying an excellent season north of the border after Hibs lured the playmaker to Easter Road from English side Barnsley in the summer. The former St. Mirren star has had a hand in 15 goals during his 25 games this season.
His inch-perfect display comes just days after Rangers confirmed that Ovie Ejaria has returned to Liverpool early, with his season-long loan cut short due to footballing reasons.
Ejaria had shown in glimpses he was capable of taking Rangers to the next level, but it was far too inconsistent and he came under plenty of criticism recently during his time under Gerrard.
Rangers are now without a number 10 that can connect the midfield and attack, with January just around the corner. If Gerrard was watching on Sunday, he needs to convince the Rangers board that Mallan is the man to sign.
Adding Mallan into a side that boasts combative midfielders such as Ryan Jack, Lassan Coulibaly and Ross McCrorie will give the Gers midfield the creativity it is currently missing.
The Gers dominated possession once again against Hamilton on Sunday but it was plain to see that they are missing a player who can connect the strings, a player who can add fluidity and create something out of nothing.
If Rangers want to build on the top spot in the Scottish Premiership and see off the challenge of Celtic, Mallan is surely the perfect January signing.
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