Derby County’s Ikechi Anya is a boyhood Glasgow Rangers fan.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard needs to make several new additions this summer if his side has aspirations of challenging Celtic, and bringing in boyhood fan Ikechi Anya would make plenty of sense.
The Scotland international has not had the best of times at Derby since joining the Championship club from Watford, yet there is no doubt he boasts ability and his pace is a frightening proposition for defenders.
Anya joined Derby under then-boss Nigel Pearson, but his swift exit and the subsequent change of managers meant he never really settled at Pride Park while featuring infrequently for the first-team.
The 30-year-old made just four Championship starts last term and, with academy product Max Lowe returning from his loan spell, it is likely Anya will find himself further out of the first-team picture.
With new manager Frank Lampard likely to want to freshen up his squad, he could be open to allowing Anya to leave the club, while a move to Rangers would see him help out his former England colleague Gerrard at Ibrox.
The versatile left-sided player may welcome a move to Rangers, having grown up supporting the club and gushing over the first time he stepped out at Ibrox while on Scotland international duty.
“As a kid, Rangers is the team I supported. When I approached the stadium, I was like: ‘Wow!’ This is quite a big deal,” the former Watford man told the Scotsman back in 2014.
Despite his age, Anya still has plenty left in the tank and his incredible pace would be a huge asset in a Rangers side that currently lacks penetration and directness in wide areas.
The Scottish Premiership has enticed the player before when there were rumours of potential Celtic interest (the Express), and he may see a chance to become a leading player north of the border as a fresh start.
Gerrard has a difficult job on his hands in persuading players to join his Rangers revolution, therefore targeting ones with a clear affiliation to the club while still in decent shape makes plenty of sense in the short term.
Derby have a bloated wage bill and too many players on their books, so they would probably be willing to see the player leave on loan making it a potentially viable option for all parties involved.
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