Ok, finally, finally we’re going to, after years, discuss long-term Rangers link Paddy McNair, 29, who has been confirmed as leaving Middlesbrough this summer and is strongly anticipated to be interesting Rangers as a Bosman.
So, the obvious one here is he’s an absolute dyed-in-the-wool Rangers fan, truly gets the club, and would, from a point of view of a proper Rangers man, be a very, very valuable addition into the club.
But I am a proper Rangers man myself and I don’t think I’d add much to the squad, sadly. So that alone isn’t enough.
Thankfully McNair IS a player, a defender, and a very good one. 33 Premier League appearances with Man Utd and Sunderland show this is a top player, at a great age, and he is of course well-known to Rangers legend Steven Davis as international team mate of Ulster.
While it is 7 to 8 years since McNair was in the Premier League and could probably be called more of a Championship defender these days, his pedigree is there for all to see.
He is a rightie, so he’d be a replacement for Connor Goldson whose Rangers race looks mercifully run, and we can’t see us bringing in a defender of this quality with over 50 caps for Northern Ireland just to leave him on the bench.
He’s a very, very good defender and Rangers would be simply stupid not to make the move for him – he’s said to be mega-keen to come, and he would absolutely add something to Rangers’ first team never mind squad.
Wages? Wouldn’t be an issue – he’s a £20,000pw player and Rangers could offer him a few quid more not to mention the signing-on fee he could command.
But he’s one of us, and he wants to come.
Only a stupid Rangers manager or scouting system would overlook Paddy McNair.
Get this one done Rangers.