Rangers defender Nikola Katic has confirmed that he has left the club early for his summer holidays after Steven Gerrard gave him the green light ahead of the European Under-21 internationals.
The 6’4″ (source: Transfermarkt) colossus has been in and out of the Gers’ side this season as injuries play their part, making a total of 30 appearances across all competitions for Gerrard’s side.
With a place in Croatia’s under-21 side for the European Championship the 22-year-old revealed that the manager had given him permission to leave Ibrox early in order to give him time to rest and prepare to play for his country.
He told Sportske: “Well, just because of the European Championship coach Gerrard let me leave a week earlier than the rest, because we have another round left. When I went I got the work program from the coach I will work to get ready for the European Championship. But the emphasis is on the holiday.”
Opinion
With nothing but pride to play for in the Scottish Premiership it makes no sense for Gerrard to force Katic to stick around and play when he could be resting up and focusing on playing for his country. The more time the defender has to recover from the long and arduous season in Scotland, the less chance he will have of picking up an injury while away on international duty. Not only that, it is Gerrard looking after his players on a personal level as well as a professional one. With the under-21 tournament on the horizon, Katic is not to going to get as much time off as his teammates will so it gives him the chance to visit family and friends and take some well deserved time away from the game. Gerrard will be hoping he comes back fitter and stronger next season because his performances have been a little inconsistent to date.