Former Rangers star and current senior figure at Ibrox Gregory Vignal has confirmed that he has switched roles behind the scenes at the club as he speaks about the difficulty of finding a new left back for Steven Gerrard.
The former full back was part of the coaching staff who helped the Light Blues’ under-18 side to the youth league title last season but has confirmed that he has left the academy to focus solely on his scouting duties, with Gerrard seeking out a player in Vignal’s old position.
Vignal has revealed that finding a naturally left footed player is more difficult than he would have hoped but backed Borna Barisic to make an impact after a hit and miss first season at the club.
He told the Daily Record: “I have finished with the Academy role so we will see what happens next season but I’m still employed by the club and I will focus on my scouting role.
“I want to try something different but I’m very happy working for Rangers and my fingers are firmly crossed that I can help find some good players for the club.
“It’s always difficult to find the right players and there aren’t so many left-footed players around. Borna will have benefited from a year at Rangers. It’s difficult when you move to a new country and have to adapt to a new style of football. You have to take that into consideration because everyone thinks Scottish football is easy but it’s not because it’s physical, strong football.”
Opinion
Barisic certainly has not lived up to expectation and so it is no surprise that Vignal is among the scouting staff tasked with finding someone to cover that particular position. It seems he sees his future in talent spotting, rather than developing the next generation of Ibrox stars and as someone who knows the club he should be a valuable influence behind the scenes. Perhaps he still has contacts in France, his home country, who could help him find the sort of talent Gerrard needs to take Rangers to the next level and close the gap on Celtic at the top of the table. If the manager and his scouting staff cannot find a suitable option then they are going to have to rely on Barisic, who has hardly set Ibrox alight with his performances. Still, he is a Croatian international and you do not play for a World Cup finalist of a country without possessing a decent amount of talent. Time will tell whether he can live up to expectations.