Rangers linked star attracting other interest with Gers man ahead in pecking order

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Dion Sanderson was a player heavily linked with Rangers, even as recent as six months ago.

Now, he is struggling to get a game in England’s third tier for Birmingham City.

Sanderson was previously the Blues’ club captain but was stripped of that earlier this year after a drink-driving conviction.

He looked like having a redemption story as he fought to keep his place in the team, but after injury he is now barely featuring with Birmingham pushing for promotion from League One back to the Championship.

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Dion Sanderson could make Birmingham transfer exit

Sanderson has only played twice in the league this season – a start and 90 minutes on the opening day and then a two-minute cameo in the most recent outing this month.

Three days after that only league start, he was sent off in an EFL Cup match against Charlton. Both bookings came from mistakes of his own accord and with Christopher Klarer breathing down his neck for a game, he struggled to get his spot back.

Sanderson also picked up a foot injury which didn’t help his cause.

One top of that, upon his return he found defender Ben Davies had arrived on loan from Ibrox.

The Rangers man has established himself as the relied upon back-up to Klarer and Krystian Bielik and Sanderson is further down the pecking order.

That means a January transfer exit is possible and the 24-year-old is attracting interest, according to Birmingham Live.

Rangers were still reported to be interested in Sanderson in the summer after the links initially came about with Michael Beale still in charge.

Sanderson stripped of Birmingham captaincy

The removal of the club captaincy at St Andrews came about because of disciplinary issues.

But manager Chris Davies also explained it might just have been for the best from the player’s point of view anyway, after the burden of skippering such a big club at a young age.

He said at the time: "Sometimes people don't quite see the burden that it can be for younger players, he's not an older player to be a captain of a club.

“From Dion's point of view, that's not on his radar now and I made that clear to him."