David Weir has hailed Rangers summer signing Allan McGregor as a player good enough to play in the Premier League.
McGregor has made a big impact for the Glasgow giants since returning to Ibrox for a second spell after agreeing to join on a free transfer following the end of his Hull City contract.
The 36-year-old has taken over the number one shirt from Wes Foderingham and has also won his place back in the Scotland national team.
“I’m not surprised,” Weir told the Scottish Sun. “It’s brilliant to see Allan playing, still, at such a high level.
“He’s a Premier League keeper in my opinion. Look at the save he made for Scotland against Albania last week. At 1-0, that’s an unbelievable save — but that’s what he does. He has done that right throughout his career.
“You can talk about the Rangers manager having that winning mentality, but Allan McGregor is exactly the same. Everyone wants to win, but it requires people willing to go that extra yard to actually make it happen.
“He’s fit, he’s highly motivated and I don’t know, maybe he has a point to prove.”
OPINION
Watching McGregor out-perform every goalkeeper in Scotland this season and settle back in so well at Ibrox, it begs the question, why on earth has he only made 52 Premier League appearances in his entire career? The 36-year-old did spend a season at Besiktas in Turkey but the majority of his career has been spent in the Scottish Premiership and English Championship. No disrespect to those two highly competitive leagues, but McGregor is the real deal, who, as Weir suggests, could do an excellent job for a Premier League outfit. He is not going to displace a David De Gea, Alisson Becker or Hugo Lloris, but the veteran Scot would certainly thrive at a middling English top-flight outfit. McGregor is no giant but he cuts a commanding presence, his decision-making and awareness is spot on, and he pulls off vital saves when they matter most. He will be a key player for Rangers this season and they’re lucky to have him.