Glasgow Rangers return to action after a two-week break following their defeat to Benfica at Ibrox in the Europa League last 16 second leg.
A trip to face Dundee was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, meaning Philippe Clement has had plenty of time to nurse his injured players back to full fitness ahead of the Premiership match against Hibs on Saturday afternoon.
Every match is now a cup final for the Light Blues as they aim to win their first title since 2021. The defeat to Benfica could be a blessing in disguise as the schedule won't be quite as hectic, but they still have to play ten matches (11 if they reach the Scottish Cup final) between now and the end of May.
Clement will be hoping his key players remain fit and healthy over the course of the next few weeks as a potential treble is within their grasp.
The defence in particular has been mightily impressive this season, especially domestically, and much of this is down to the solid partnership of John Souttar and Connor Goldson.
Goldson made his 300th appearance for the Gers in the recent win over Hearts, showing a level of consistency that often goes underappreciated by the Ibrox faithful.
Connor Goldson’s statistics for Rangers this season
After 29 Premiership matches this season, Rangers have conceded just 16 goals, the lowest in the top flight. This defensive stability has proven crucial to their recent ascent to the top of the league table, with Souttar and Goldson starring together.
There has been the odd mistake or two, however. During a tie against Aberdeen in November, Goldson was caught out by a long ball over the top, allowing Bojan Miovski to run through and score. He did win a penalty during injury time to salvage a draw, however.
Player
Position
Allan McGregor
GK
James Tavernier
RB
Nikola Katic
CB
Connor Goldson
CB
Jon Flanagan
LB
Ross McCrorie
DM
Scott Arfield
CM
Daniel Candeias
CM
Josh Windass
RW
Jamie Murphy
LW
Alfredo Morelos
ST
Among his teammates, Goldson currently ranks third for accurate passes per game (61.7), along with ranking first for accurate long balls per game (5.7) and third for clearances per game (3), fully demonstrating his passing ability throughout the course of the season.
Souttar has also taken his game up another level since being deployed alongside Goldson, as the duo have wonderful chemistry.
The Englishman will hope to win another league title and the Scottish Cup before the end of the season, but the question is, how long will he remain at Ibrox for?
Connor Goldson’s Rangers future
Heading into the final few weeks of the 2021/22 season, Goldson’s contract was due to expire, with the speculation that he was going to leave for nothing once the campaign had ended.
At the start of June, the defender signed a four-year extension with the club, committing his future to the Glasgow side as he aimed to win more trophies.
“Connor is an important player in our group and we are delighted that following all of our discussions, he has decided to commit his long-term future to Rangers.” Said sporting director Ross Wilson at the time, and it has proved to be a big coup keeping him at Ibrox.
The 31-year-old still has two years left on that contract, but Clement may well be looking for long-term replacements for the former Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back, especially as he seeks to lower the average age of the squad.
The Belgian shouldn’t dive into the market and splash millions on a player, however, as he has an ideal heir for Goldson already in his first-team squad – Leon King.
Leon King’s Rangers statistics
The 20-year-old displayed his impressive talents during the 2020/21 season, making his senior debut under Steven Gerrard during a League Cup clash against Falkirk.
Aged just 16 at the time, he was given 19 minutes towards the end of the match, while Gerrard also gave him his league debut against Livingston during the penultimate game of the championship-winning season.
It was clear the former Liverpool captain was all for developing youth talent and King was among one of the best in his age group.
King made six appearances in all competitions the following season, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst following Gerrard’s mantra of allowing youngsters to blossom. He even started two of the final three league matches that term, showing that the Dutchman trusted him.
This experience certainly stood him in good stead ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, as he was called into action sooner than he expected.
Injuries to Souttar and Ben Davies in the opening stages of the season saw King deployed next to Goldson in what was a baptism of fire for the youngster.
Former Rangers defender Alan Hutton hailed King as a “big Rolls Royce” during the summer of 2022 and the youngster demonstrated his qualities alongside Goldson.
Throughout the season, he made 23 appearances for the club, which included six in the Champions League, facing off against the likes of Liverpool, Ajax and Napoli.
Despite the Gers losing all six matches in the competition, King still managed to win 50% of his total duels per game, along with making 1.7 tackles and completing 25.5 passes per game, showing that while he was thrown into the deep end, he was more than capable of swimming.
With Goldson and Souttar thriving, plus Leon Balogun also starring whenever he has been awarded a start, King has found game time much harder to come by this term compared to last.
The defender has made just four appearances – totalling 14 minutes overall – during 2023/24, with a loan move perhaps being the most logical option for him next season.
Prior to signing an extended contract with the Light Blues in December 2022, Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Newcastle United were circling around the youngster, looking to take advantage of his status.
While the previous few months have been tough, this learning process will give Clement the opportunity to find out if King has the maturity and commitment to remain at the club for the long term.
Goldson won't last forever and King may be the perfect choice to replace him when he finally departs Ibrox.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
