OPINION
While Rangers boss Steven Gerrard conducted a mass overhaul of the senior side at Ibrox over the summer, bringing a whole host of new faces to the Light Blues, there were a couple of familiar figures walking through the doors in Glasgow.
Goalkeeper Allan McGregor and striker Kyle Lafferty both returned to the Gers after years away and any initial trepidation from supporters has gone as they have both helped the side make a bright start both domestically and on the European stage.
The shot stopper has been a mainstay in the starting XI while the hitman has had to take more of a backseat role on his move back, playing second fiddle to Alfredo Morelos for much of the season with just eight starts, four in the Premiership, in 18 appearances.
However, it sounds as though 31-year-old Lafferty already has one eye on the future if coach Michael Beale’s words are anything to go by, revealing that he is taking a strong interest in the tactical side to the game, and the senior Ibrox figure has hinted at a potential coaching career.
He told the Daily Record: “Kyle is also very interested in why we do things. I work on the group with tactical game plan for the next game and Kyle is always asking me questions.
“He is at that lovely stage where he is in his early 30s and he is very intrigued by the game. Watch this space he may enter the world I’m in at this moment in time. He has added a lot to our group that people won’t see when they watch games. Behind the scenes he has added personality.”
While the striker might not be starting regularly, Steven Gerrard will be expecting for him to make an impact both on and off the pitch if the Gers are to secure some success, and if the Light Blues do taste any glory then the Northern Irish international will no doubt have played his part.
The group of players who end Celtic’s dominance over Scotland, either in the league or with a cup win, will go down as cult heroes, but with Lafferty looking at a coaching career, he can be more than that – he could be a legend.
Lafferty being part of the coaching staff that leads Rangers to future silverware would only see him rise through the ranks of stars gone by, and elevate him to a platform among Ibrox heroes.
A coaching career seems to be on the cards – can he put that to good use and help Rangers return to their former glories both on and off the field?