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George Edmundson has suggested, , that Nikola Katic and some of the Rangers staff have backed the summer signing to emulate his teammate as he looks to force his way into Steven Gerrard’s side.
Edmundson has been a somewhat peripheral figure since his £700,000 move to Ibrox in the summer ().
He is yet to make a start in the Scottish Premiership, and has not made either of the club’s last two match day squads.
The situation has evoked memories of the situation Katic faced last year. After a promising start to life with the Gers, the £2 million signing () seemed to fall out of favour and spent much of the season as Joe Worrall’s understudy.
However, by the end of the campaign, Katic was back in the side. And he took full advantage of the second chance, ensuring that he kept his place alongside Connor Goldson at the start of this season.
And Edmundson suggested that Katic has been one of the men to help ensure that his head does not drop as he awaits his chance to really impress.
“Niko’s someone I look up to. Last season he was in the same situation I am in now,” he said, .
“He’s a top player and a great defender and someone I can learn from alongside Connor and Filip. He spoke to me and some of the staff have spoken about it too, how Niko was in and out but he kept going.
“They’ve told me to do the same, keep the head up and try to stay in the team when I get my chance. It is hard coming from Oldham and having played every game but I knew it was going to be like this so I’m not going to get down.”
With Rangers battling in four competitions, Gerrard is probably going to need every member of his first-team squad to step up at some stage. It is up to those who get fewer chances to make a greater impact.
Edmundson is also competing with Filip Helander for a chance. He faces an uphill task trying to get into the team on a regular basis, but Rangers need that competition if they hope to establish themselves as a real force once again.
But as Edmundson suggests, Katic has shown that the path is there for players to go from the periphery and become key first-team players.