Rangers: John Souttar could be Goldson heir

Glasgow Rangers bounced back from their cup final disappointment by beating Kilmarnock 3-1 in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox on Saturday.

Connor Goldson, James Tavernier and Fashion Sakala scored the goals to seal all three points for the Light Blues and there was a nice moment in stoppage time as central defender John Souttar made his long-awaited return to action.

The Scotland international missed a whopping 42 competitive matches with an ankle injury and came off the bench to replace Ben Davies in the final few minutes of the game.

It was only his second appearance for the club since joining on a free transfer from Hearts, and his first outing since Michael Beale arrived in Glasgow.

The Gers head coach has not had the chance to work with the defender for a significant period of time and the Englishman may look forward to doing so as the 26-year-old has the potential to be a terrific player for the club.

Could John Souttar replace Connor Goldson?

Goldson turns 31 this year and the Light Blues may have one eye on who could replace the £37k-per-week titan in the future. Souttar could step up and be that player if Beale is able to get the best out of him in the coming months and years.

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The ex-Hearts star, who journalist Ewan Murray once hailed as “outstanding“, can bring a “presence” at the back – according to his teammate Ryan Jack – and his statistics from the 2021/22 Premiership season back that up.

Souttar averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.30 across 27 appearances in the division. The 26-year-old made two tackles and interceptions per game and won an impressive 71% of his individual duels, which shows that the gem consistently won the ball back for his side and was dominant in physical contests.

This season, Goldson has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.30 in 20 matches and has won 66% of his battles, whilst making 2.1 tackles and interceptions per match for the Light Blues.

These statistics suggest that there is not a great deal between the two players in terms of what they offer on the pitch when they are at their best, as both defensive machines are dominant, consistently impressive, centre-backs at Premiership level when they are in form.

Therefore, if Beale and the medical staff can keep Souttar fit, the ex-Hearts man could be the long-term successor to Goldson at Ibrox with his previous form in the Scottish top-flight suggesting he has the quality to be an excellent replacement for the Englishman.