Harry Redknapp has suggested that the signing of Jermain Defoe could make a huge difference to Rangers’ Scottish Premiership title challenge but insisted he needs the service to score.
The former England striker played under the 71-year-old at West Ham, Portsmouth, and Tottenham, and is expected to confirm an 18 month loan move to Ibrox in the coming days.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Redknapp suggested that the 36-year-old could have a massive impact on the title race.
He said: “He’s a fantastic player and still very fit. I’m sure he’ll score plenty of goals at Rangers.
“He’s a great finisher, he’s got fantastic movement. If they’ve got people that can slide passes into him then he’ll score goals all day.
“He’ll be a real big signing for Rangers and I’m sure Stevie [Gerrard] will be delighted to have him.
“If he gets Steven Davis as well that would be two amazing signings, I can see it making a big difference to their team. They could push Celtic all the way with those two in the team.”
OPINION
It’s hard to think of a better Scottish signing in the past decade than Jermain Defoe. Obviously the little forward has yet to kick a ball north of the border, but if he has the impact that he is expected to have, and if he can showcase the irrepressible natural finishing streak that he is renowned for, he could be a truly lethal acquisition for the Gers. Words like ‘game changer’ get thrown around a lot, but in Defoe’s case, he actually could be one. The 36-year-old has the potential to score 20 goals a season without breaking a sweat, and that could be massive for the title race. At the moment it feels as if the side that can demolish the smaller clubs in the league with the least fuss could end up edging it, and Defoe will make that task a whole lot easier for the Gers.