Former Rangers youth player and ex-Scotland international Kenny Burns has rubbished claims that Nottingham Forest loanee Joe Worrall has a clause in his contract to play at Ibrox and revealed the youngster’s straight talking attitude.
The 21-year-old arrived in Glasgow on a season long loan deal over the summer transfer window and after watching on from the sidelines, being left as an unused substitute for his first three games at the club, he has started and played every minute of the last two outings.
Speaking about the young talent, former Forest man Burns has insisted that the powerhouse will be back in England next season and insisted he was playing for the Light Blues on merit alone.
He told the Daily Record: “I was a bit surprised Nottingham Forest allowed him to leave. I’ve seen Rangers play and I’ve seen Joe Worrall play. For me he’s better than anything else they’ve got so Steven Gerrard is right to play him.
“He’s learning but he’s got enough about him to play in the Scottish Premiership because it’s not as difficult a league as the English Championship. Joe will get better and better.
“I’m told he stood up in the dressing room and said ‘You, you and you never tried a leg today’ after they lost. He’s not frightened of telling people when they aren’t doing enough and in some of the Rangers games I watched I wasn’t impressed with their central defenders.
“That’s why, if I was Gerrard, I would play Worrall. He’s on loan for a year and when he comes back to Nottingham Forest I think he’ll be captain because he’s a leader. Worrall will come in and by that time he’ll be better for his year at Ibrox.”
Opinion
The Gers faithful have only got a glimpse of Worrall so far, having featured in just two league games and three matches overall, and as such it is difficult to judge whether he is any better than the other options at Gerrard’s disposal. Burns certainly seems to think he has what it takes, and for a 21-year-old to stand up in a dressing room and criticise his teammates shows plenty of spirit and self-confidence. If he does continue to impress, then Rangers might well want to take him on permanently, and then it is up to the Championship side to choose whether to give him that chance to further his career, or keep him at the City Ground for themselves. He might well enjoy his season at Ibrox and want to continue to learn his trade there, especially if they have European football next year. A lot could also depend on whether Forest are challenging for a play off spot, or even promotion, or if they are floundering in mid-table.