Rangers confirm loan deal for Premier League goalscoring great

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Jermain Defoe has signed for Rangers on an 18-month loan deal from Premier League side Bournemouth, the Scottish club have announced.

Defoe had been struggling for game time with Bournemouth and links up with former England team-mate Steven Gerrard in Glasgow, subject to international clearance.

What can Defoe bring to Rangers? Five key things to know…

  1. Defoe is one of the greatest goalscorers in the Premier League’s history, with only six players managing more goals in the competition.
  2. However, the forward had been struggling for game time at Bournemouth with Callum Wilson leading the line well.
  3. As a result, Defoe has joined Rangers on an 18-month loan deal subject to international clearance.
  4. The deal runs until Defoe’s contract with Bournemouth ends, ultimately closing his chapter with the Cherries.
  5. Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has spoken highly of Defoe, looking forward to the impact he will have on his squad.

The 36-year-old is one of the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorers having netted 162 times in 496 appearances for a handful of clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth.

Rangers are currently enjoying life with Gerrard in charge and sit second in the Scottish Premiership only behind leaders Celtic on goal difference – albeit having played a game more.

And Gerrard will be hoping the forward can have a positive impact on the Rangers squad as they look to end their rivals’ domination of Scottish football.

Speaking on the announcement of the deal, Gerrard told Rangers’ official website: “I’m delighted to be able to welcome Jermain to Rangers. He is an exceptionally talented striker and vastly experienced footballer who has scored goals at every club he has played for.

“He will be a great addition to our dressing room and we look forward to integrating him into the squad whilst we work in Tenerife over the next week.”

Gerrard was joined in welcoming Defoe by Rangers director of football Mark Allen, who was pleased to get the deal done early in the January transfer window.

He said: “It’s really helpful to get work on this front done early in the transfer window because it means we should be able to hit the ground running after the winter break. I believe that is vitally important.”

Should everything go according to plan, Defoe will be available for selection in Rangers’ first game after Scotland’s winter break, against Cowdenbeath in the Scottish Cup on January 18.

How did Defoe arrive at Rangers?

Defoe started his career in London with Charlton Athletic, but made his name known with success for West Ham United where he scored 29 goals in 94 games.

This earned the forward a move to Tottenham Hotspur, where he enjoyed considerable success in front of goal, scoring 142 goals in 360 games across two spells, ending his time at White Hart Lane as the sixth-highest scorer in the club’s history.

Spells with Portsmouth, Toronto FC, Sunderland and Bournemouth also came, with Defoe continuing his good goalscoring record

Defoe has also represented England 57 times, scoring 20 goals including one at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The post Rangers confirm signing of Jermain Defoe on 18-month loan appeared first on Squawka News.



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