Rangers-linked Marko Soldo on 'best possible' option as Croatian wonderkid talks breakthrough move

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Rangers needed to reset in the summer, both on and off the pitch, however painful it might be in the short term.

Philippe Clement is starting to see the benefits of a younger squad with the chances of hanging onto his job in the Ibrox hot-seat improving by the week.

Rangers have been linked with Marko Soldo from NK Osijek, a Croatia Under-21 international midfielder, tipped for bigger things but has only just made the step up to senior football.

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Rangers target Marko Soldo makes step up in level look easy

Soldo has put his rapid rise down to playing regular games throughout his development and, speaking to Croatian website Germanijak, explained why it was so important:

“I play a lot, which is the most important thing for a young player. I develop as a player and as a person. The difference is between junior and senior. It’s a huge difference! I feel the trust of the coach and teammates, it’s up to me to use that and take the best out of what’s offered.

“When the call came from Osijek, I realised that this was the best possible option I had at the moment. The feeling upon arrival was fantastic, for me this is certainly a new experience and a real challenge, unquestionably and a much higher level than before.” 

Who is Rangers best recent example of academy success?

Compare and contrast with the problem that Rangers have with their academy.

Players like Leon King, Robbie Fraser and Alex Lowry have barely played 10 competitive matches between them over the last couple of seasons and, at 21-years old, have stagnated in terms of their development.

Soldo might not have been playing at a high level, but he has been playing consistently over the same time frame and is now tipped to earn senior international recognition.

The best example recently is Lewis Mayo, who was voted as Kilmarnock's players' player of the year last season.

He went out on loan and got games in the Championship and Premiership whilst King – who was always rated higher than Mayo at Auchenhowie – has made up the numbers in Rangers’ squad.

Until Rangers have a rethink of how they develop their own, players like Soldo, Jefte and Hamza Igamane will need to be bought to plug the gaps and to make a profit.