Giovanni van Bronckhorst admits players like Ben Davies are a rarity, which is why he was identified as the perfect replacement for Calvin Bassey.
Davies became the Rangers ' sixth signing of the summer after making a £3million move from Liverpool. He was set to sign for rivals Celtic 18 months ago, but Jurgen Klopp swooped in ahead of them to land him from Preston North End as he sought to ease an Anfield defensive crisis.
He wasn't strictly needed in the end, as Davies failed to make a first team appearance for the Reds before being loaned out to Sheffield United last season. Now he finds himself on the blue side of Glasgow, arriving just as Bassey is set to complete a £19million move to Ajax. Finding a left-sided centre back who can cover at left back is easier said than done, which is why van Bronckhorst is so pleased with his latest bit of business.
“I’m very pleased," he told Rangers TV. "Ben is a very experienced player and we identified him to come to Rangers because of the quality he has.
“He is a left footed defender, which is very difficult to find. He is a quality defender who is also comfortable on the ball, so I am really happy he is joining us from now on.”
Two of van Bronckhorst's earlier recruits were the difference makers as Rangers recorded a highly impressive 3-1 friendly win over West Ham. Tom Lawrence came off the bench to score with his first touch after being set up by fellow sub Rabbi Matondo
Less than two minutes later, Lawrence turned provider for Ryan Kent to slam home at the back post. It was then Matondo's turn, with Lawrence again the architect as the former Schalke man opened his account in royal blue.
Van Bronckhorst was delighted with the impact made by the new boys as John Souttar also made his first start for the club before being taken off at half-time. The Ibrox boss said: “It was very positive. We were playing against a Premier League side who finished seventh and almost reached the final of the Europa League.
“It was a good test for us and I can take a lot of positives from tonight. The way we played was very good, very controlled, and we scored some excellent goals.
“The new signings have come in the last 10 days. We lost some players from last year so I’m really happy that we could get new players in early and the team welcomes every new face who comes in.”
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