ONE of the latest arrivals at Rangers, midfielder Glen Kamara, has thanked former Ibrox winger Neil McCann for turning him into a player ready to take the step up to represent the club.
Kamara caught the eye of Rangers manager Steven Gerrard playing at the heart of McCann’s Dundee side, and the 23-year-old Finnish international says he owes a debt of gratitude to his former boss at Dens Park for where he now finds himself.
"He allowed me to express myself and I think I've done that,” Kamara said. “His quality was that he gave confidence to players and let them do what they could do on the pitch. He told me when I arrived to show people what I could do.
“I didn't find it all that different from down south, maybe a bit quicker. I didn't actually have that many options before I went to Dundee, but going there made sense and it's been a good move for me. I'm feeling better and getting fitter day by day and just waiting for my turn [at Rangers].
“I'm settling in, enjoying training and enjoying being around the boys. It's a big club and I can't wait to get started. The biggest difference is the intensity of the players and the training.”
Kamara’s new boss also thinks that McCann’s influence and coaching methods can help make the midfielder’s transition to Rangers a seamless one.
"He's a natural footballer, he's a midfielder who plays with his head up and connects the defensive side of the game with the attacking,” said Gerrard.
“He's been well coached at Arsenal, and I also think I have to mention Neil McCann who I think has done an excellent job in taking him from academy football to the next level and introducing him to the real world.
“Dundee not only gave him the opportunity to play in front of crowds, but in Neil he had a manager who hasn't tried to change his game in terms of playing forward and getting on second balls, even though you need those basics of the game.
“He's improved his passing range and he's been coached in a system that really suits the Rangers way, maybe without Neil knowing it. I have to give Neil McCann credit because I like the way he coaches and the way he plays the game. It's similar to what we're trying to do here.
“Glen stood out and I think we've done well as a club getting him.”
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