Rangers

Docherty surely heading back to Rangers in January

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Image for Docherty surely heading back to Rangers in January

OPINION

Greg Docherty is surely heading back to Rangers in January after Steven Gerrard bigged up his loan spell at Shrewsbury Town.

The central midfielder, 22, has impressed at the League One club, who he joined in the summer on a season-long loan in order to play regular senior football.

It is common for clubs to activate mid-season recall clauses in loans, especially those with the potential to immediately strengthen the first team.

Asked about Docherty at his media conference on Wednesday, as quoted by the official Rangers Twitter account, Gerrard explained the club will open talks in the coming weeks about their loanees including the “shining” ex-Hamilton ace as he hinted a winter window recall is on the cards.

Rangers are not sure of talent in central midfield, the position where Docherty played regularly in the second half of last season following his January arrival from Hamilton.

The first-choice pairing in the middle is loanee Lassana Coulibaly and Scotland international Ryan Jack, with competition provided from fit-again Graham Dorrans man-for-all-seasons Scott Arfield and versatile duo Ovie Ejaria and Andy Halliday.

But Jacks and Dorrans are very injury prone and Rangers’ schedule is intense verging on the brutal.

A campaign that began in mid-June will break for three weeks in the new year, but the squad could be running on empty by that point and an injection of energy could be just what the doctored ordered for Gerrard.

In Docherty’s favour is that he is starting every match at Shrewsbury and getting the opportunity to play at a standard not too far removed from most Scottish Premiership matches.

A player with impressive stamina and the ability to pick a pass as well as beat an opposition player, the former 800m champion is a hurricane of energy and mobility who is destined for a top career.

He wouldn’t necessarily be a nailed-on starter back at Ibrox but could be a valuable addition in the second half of the campaign.

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