Former Premiership striker Noel Whelan has commended Rangers for securing the permanent signing of Jermain Defoe.
The club announced on their official website rangers.co.uk last Saturday that the 37-year-old has signed a pre-contract to become a full-time ‘Gers player in the summer, having been on loan from Bournemouth since last January, with the veteran forward agreeing a deal to stay at Ibrox until 2021.
Defoe has already surpassed the 15-goal mark this season and is the Light Blues’ second highest scorer behind Alfredo Morelos, with Whelan firmly believing that Rangers have done a shrewd piece of business by signing him permanently.
He told Football Insider: “Look, it’s a big deal because Jermain is a goalscorer. He’s a natural goalscorer, always has been, always will be. To make it permanent, I think that will make Jermain very happy as well – he knows where he’s going to be. Everything’s been clarified now, he can really relax and get into next season as well and start looking forward to it.
“You’ve got a very good player there with the right attitude. We know Morelos right now is number one, but what a great replacement to have on the bench. When you’re needing goals and experience you don’t look no further than Jermain Defoe.”
When looking at Defoe’s goal record not just for Rangers but throughout his career, it’s not hard to see why Whelan thinks the Ibrox club have done well to tie him down on a permanent basis from next summer. Prior to Wednesday night’s clash against Ross County, the 37-year-old has struck 24 goals in 49 appearances for the ‘Gers, with 16 goals in 29 games this season. He has found the net 163 times in the English Premier League during his career, reaching double figures in eight different seasons in the division.
He and Morelos are the only two players in Steven Gerrard’s squad to have hit double figures so far in 2019/20. By way of comparison, Greg Stewart, the only other centre-forward in the squad, went into the Ross County game with just three goals to his name for the season. With Morelos recently serving a suspension, Defoe’s importance to the ‘Gers became even more pronounced, with the veteran striker starting the team’s first three matches of 2020.
Whelan’s claim that the former England international will be happy to remain at Ibrox is understandable considering some of Defoe’s previous comments about Rangers. Last October, he told talkSPORT that he wanted to finish his career at the club and, after agreeing his pre-contract to sign permanently last weekend, he told rangers.co.uk: “I love the game. I still get that same buzz and there is no better feeling than scoring goals – especially for a club like this.”
Defoe’s decision to stay at Ibrox until 2021 ensures that the ‘Gers will retain the services of a consistently reliable goalscorer whose value to the team is amplified whenever Morelos is unavailable and who seems exceptionally happy to be at the club. As Whelan has said, this indeed feels like a significant coup for Rangers.
Rangers fans, what did you make of Whelan’s views on Defoe signing permanently? Have your say by commenting below!
