Stephen Craigan has indicated that he thinks Rangers enforcer Bruno Alves could be integral to new boss Steven Gerrard next season, should he be given another chance.
As quoted by the Scottish Sun, Craigan admitted that he had been underwhelmed at times by the senior player’s play last season and has suggested that he may have misjudged Scottish football.
“Sometimes players underestimate how difficult Scottish football can be. They think they will just turn up and perform and everything will be perfect,” said the BT Sport pundit.
“I’m not saying Bruno did that because he did always look up for the fight and was a committed player when he did play.”
However, Alves’s illustrious career demonstrates his expertise, and Craigan does believe that Gerrard could lean on his experience next season if he is still at the Ibrox.
“But you never know, Steven Gerrard might see a guy like Alves and the career he has had, and think to himself ‘He is the type of guy I need in this team’.”
Alves could put himself in the shop window if he gets regular minutes at the World Cup, and performs well for Portugal.
OPINION
Steven Gerrard is going to need all the help he can get, and as is the style with the English Premier League, the Scottish Premier League can take some adapting time. Alves at times last season looked the real deal, but was let down by inconsistent play and injuries. His experience will come in handy for Gerrard, who can look to Alves in terms of inspiration for younger players, such as loanee Ovie Ejaria. It is unlikely that he will feature too much for Portugal during the World Cup, but his presence in the team indicates how highly he is thought of in his native country. Should the former Euros winner come through the tournament unscathed, then he will be in good stead to start for Gerrard going into next season, should Rangers be able to keep hold of him. However, it looks as though the former Liverpool captain has highlighted the defence as an area of weakness, having already agreed on a fee with Brighton for the transfer of defender Connor Goldson.