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Steven Gerrard has joked that he was shocked to see Connor Goldson bag both of Rangers’s goals in their Old Firm victory, that he thought that the centre-back was outstanding for the Gers.
Rangers have taken the early advantage in the title race with a 2-0 victory at Parkhead. And both of the goals came from an unlikely source.
Goldson went into Saturday’s clash having scored six times in his previous 73 league games. But he found the back of the net on two occasions to secure the win against Celtic.
Gerrard made no secret of the fact that he did not see the centre-back bagging a brace. But he was keen to stress that the Englishman deserved to make a decisive contribution.
“I’m shocked,” . “But he’s certainly capable. He’s starting to attack set-pieces now. He’s hungry to score.
“I thought his all-round performance today was outstanding. It was Nikola Katic who was the hero here last year, but Connor deserves the headlines that he’s going to get. I thought he was outstanding.
“He led us from the back. He kept our distances right. You could hear his voice all the way throughout the game so he should enjoy tonight.”
Gerrard may be surprised by Goldson’s goalscoring. But that kind of performance has arguably been on the cards for some time.
The 27-year-old has come in for criticism during his time at Ibrox. But he is a player that Gerrard has almost always kept faith with despite fan calls to promote the likes of Filip Helander and Nikola Katic in the past.
And Goldson is now vindicating that faith. He has been outstanding in the early stages of the campaign.
And if Rangers now capitalise and grasp control of the title race, Goldson’s display will be looked back upon as a key moment for both the Gers as well as Goldson himself.