'Sakala will make Rangers ‘a lot quicker and more dynamic’ – Gerrard

2021-05-11
3 min read

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is confident Fashion Sakala will help his side to be "a lot quicker and more dynamic".

The Zambia international signed a pre-four-year contract agreement with the Scottish Premiership champions at the start of May.

Prior to that, Sakala enjoyed his three-year stay with Belgian First Division A side Oostende, where has featured in more than 85 appearances across all competitions, scoring 24 league goals.

He will be expected to link up with his new club at the end of the 2020-21 season and Gerrard is already looking forward to his arrival.

"The recruitment system doesn't stop. We've got Jack Simpson and Scott Wright and getting Fashion Sakala done and dusted is helpful for me because they will be here from the first day of pre-season, and having Scott and Jack in earlier, you can see they're already starting to settle," Gerrard said, as per Daily Record

"Fashion Sakala is coming in after a productive season in Belgium. He will make us a lot quicker, a lot more dynamic and gives the squad a lot more pace in the forward areas, so I'm really excited to work with him. There's potential there on a big scale.

"And there's other areas of the team and squad where we're actively working towards strengthening and come the Champions League qualifiers, whether it's the third round or the fourth, we'll have a team and a squad ready to go and give it our best shot.

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"It won't be a perfect situation because not having Kemar Roofe, Glen Kamara and Leon Balogun [all suspended]  is a huge blow to the club but it's my job to try and make sure the squad can cope without them and I'll do everything I can to put us in the best place."

Rangers have two more games to play in the Scottish Premiership before the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The Ibrox Stadium outfit will take on Livingston on Wednesday before they slug it out with Aberdeen on May 15.

Rangers will hope to count on Nigeria internationals Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo as well as South Africa’s Bongani Zungu for the encounters.

Sakala has 13 appearances for the Zambia national team since his promotion to the senior team in 2017, after impressing with the U20 side.