Rangers free to speak to 'hugely talented player' as manager details stance on his future
Yesterday at 12:30 PM
Rangers manager Philippe Clement insists the Ibrox side will need to box clever in order to compete with Celtic in the hunt for silverware in the Scotland.
The Gers are working on a shoestring budget as Philippe Clement spells out the £30m challenge of catching their Old Firm rivals and fans wait to hear from Patrick Stewart.
At the same time, Nils Koppen has pledged to look closer to home in the hunt for new recruits with one Scottish Premiership signing per season targeted at Ibrox.
Out-of-contract Dundee midfielder Lyall Cameron is one player who ticks a lot of boxes for Rangers and now Tony Docherty has been addressing the Dens Park talisman's future.
Dundee manager on Lyall Cameron
Rangers have been mentioned alongside Lyall Cameron a number of times over the course of the season but there's been nothing in the way of a concrete link.
Even this week, ex-Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday recommended both Cameron and Dundee teammate Josh Mulligan as potential Ibrox signings.
Rangers manager Philippe Clement then intensified things when the Rangers manager singled out Cameron as one of Dundee's most 'decisive' players.
Naturally, there's been plenty of talk about Rangers and Lyall Cameron as a result, as the Gers get set to head to Dens Park in the Scottish Premiership.
Tony Docherty was asked if he'd rather keep a hold of Lyall Cameron and let him leave on a free in the summer, or cash in this January.
The Dundee manager's response might have a few at Ibrox thinking closely.
"For me I always want a team winning," Docherty told Sky Sports.
"I put out a team to win and the better chance my team have got of winning is with Lyall Cameron in it.
"And that's another thing about development. It is a development club, there's no doubt about it.
"These young players I've mentioned to you as well, we've got Lyall Cameron who is now at age 21 is up to over 100 appearances.
"Josh Mulligan over 100 appearances with Dundee now.
"So they're at a stage in their development where they're really progressing. For me that's what it is all about.
"A similar situation when I came into the building with Luke McCowan in terms of developing him and seeing him move on.
"I've done it throughout my career albeit as a coach or assistant manager and now manager.
"It's important for me as manager the now, my job is to develop players but to win football matches and that is a fine balance to do that.
"There's more chance of me winning football matches with Lyall Cameron in my team."
Cameron in 'category' of Liverpool and Celtic stars
With Dundee clearly in no position to drop Lyall Cameron despite the contract situation – something which isn't the case with Rangers-linked Le Havre midfielder Oussama Targhalline – it suggests the Gers might be better off considering a summer move.
This would allow Cameron to continue his development with Dundee and Rangers to pick him up on a short-term deal.
Rangers are technically free to strike up a conversation with Cameron right now.
Tony Docherty believes that Lyall Cameron has what it takes to go to the next level and reckons he's just as good as £1m Celtic midfielder Luke McCowan or Liverpool left-back Owen Beck.
Both players have taken huge strides under Tony Docherty's management and the Dundee boss reckons Lyall Cameron can go on and reach such heights.
"He's a hugely talented young player," said Docherty.
"You can see that. What Lyall's got, he adds numbers. He's added numbers when he's played in that area of the pitch.
"Even when he plays a wee bit deeper he still gets his goal on Saturday against St Johnstone, he was playing in a deeper role.
"He's got football IQ, he's got real intelligence.
"The ones that I've worked with, the ones I've mentioned before (Luke McCowan and Owen Beck), I put Lyall in that category.
"Any player I work with I just want to see them develop and progress. That's my role.
"I know what my job is. It's to try to improve and develop footballers but at the same time it's trying to put a winning team on the pitch.
"That can be challenging to get that balance but it's something that I'll always try to do and I'll always try to stay true with the players that I'm working with."
