Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill has hailed Kyle Lafferty in the Daily Mail as “a really big player for Rangers” who is overjoyed at returning to the club.
Lafferty re-signed for the Glasgow giants last month six years after his controversial exit in the wake of their demotion down the Scottish divisions.
O’Neill explained why the 31-year-old Northern Ireland international is such a big asset for the club after securing his dream move from Tynecastle.
“Hearts was the right move at the right time for Kyle but his ambition has always been to get back to Rangers,” O’Neill told the Daily Mail. “If you had given Kyle a choice of where in the world he wanted to play his football, there would be no other place for him than Rangers.
“Now he is back at Ibrox I do see a boy that is content, focused and hungry to make the most of it.
“Kyle definitely has the potential to be a really big player for Rangers – in Europe as well as domestically.
“It’s important to have a striker like Kyle, especially away from home. So with Rangers likely to play a little bit deeper away from home in Europe, that’s precisely where Kyle thrives.”
OPINION
Lafferty divides opinion among Rangers supporters, with some unapologetically unable to bring themselves to sing the name of a player who quit the club in 2012. That disregards the fact Lafferty was aged 25 at the time and it was career suicide for him to be strutting his stuff in the bottom league in Scotland. The Irishman does not hide his allegiance to the blue shirt or his delight at being back at Ibrox. Significantly, he also adds a fresh dimension to the team. The 6ft 4in striker’s height, presence and ferocious work ethic will be much needed as they get their Europa League campaign underway in Spain tomorrow. With Alfredo Morelos suspended, Lafferty is set to lead the line as the attack spearhead supported by attacking midfielders such as Ryan Kent and Ojie Evaria. If the summer signing from Hearts is at his best, Rangers can come away from Villarreal with a famous result.