OPINION
Steven Gerrard hasn’t opted to use Rangers attacker Glenn Middleton as of late and he may have played a blinder as a result.
The Gers boss has limited his use of the 19-year-old, as the winger hasn’t featured in the club’s last eight league games, after previously playing him 28 times this season.
Yet it seems to have had a great effect on Middleton as the player admitted that he definitely felt like a better player since being left out of the team.
“The break has definitely helped. It’s allowed me to work harder in the gym, get stronger, faster, fitter, and allowed me to work on different things on the training pitch,” said Middleton, as quoted by the Scottish Sun.
“I definitely feel like a better player now.”
The 19-year-old was in fantastic form earlier in the season, but his form seem to deteriorate near the end of 2018 and Gerrard made the call to start leaving him out.
Middleton has all the skills to be a success story at Ibrox, considering he is the type of player who can change games at the drop of a hat due to his slick dribbling skills and formidable pace.
However given his age, his form was always going to hit a dip sooner rather than later and Gerrard did well to spot the change in Middleton before his confidence was permanently rocked.
Given that Middleton admitted he personally feels like a better player for the break, as he’s been able to put the hours in at the gym, Gerrard may have played a blinder by not calling on him in recent weeks as the 19-year-old seems confident that it has led to his improvement.