'This is my job': Rangers' £3m man willing to play in a never-seen-before position under Philippe Clement
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An ability to play in a variety of attacking roles was one of the driving forces behind Rangers’ decision to part with around £3 million for Nedim Bajrami during the summer transfer window.
The Albania international started out on the left after arriving from Sassuolo on deadline day.
But, with Tom Lawrence picking up another injury and both Ianis Hagi and Danilo unavailable for the Europa League clash with Tottenham Hotspur, Nedim Bajrami was handed the chance to stake his claim in his more favoured role last week.
By his own admission, Rangers‘ number 14 prefers to play in a central role, operating behind the striker. He certainly did his hopes of a run of games in the ‘ten’ position no harm as he followed in Hamza Igamane’s strike to give Philippe Clement’s team the lead in Sunday’s thrilling Scottish League Cup final clash with Celtic.
Speaking ahead of Rangers’ Scottish Premiership clash with Dundee at Ibrox, meanwhile, Bajrami admitted that he is also open to filling in on the right-hand side if required too.
A position he is yet to play in a Rangers shirt.
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Nedim Bajrami open to playing new role at Rangers
“If I have to play on the left or on the right, at the end of the day, it changes nothing because I like to play football,” the Switzerland-born 25-year-old tells reporters during his press conference.
“I always try to give my best, even if I play on the left or on the right or even as a ten. This is my job.”
Bajrami has operated on the right-hand side before, playing there for Sassuolo.
But as a natural left-footer, and given that Clement likes his wingers to cut inside, that is a role he is unlikely to fill at Rangers unless both Vaclav Cerny and Ross McCausland are both unavailable for any period of time.
Bajrami has struck up a fine partnership with Hamza Igamane, meanwhile, hailing the striker’s influence on the turf but in the dressing room too.
“I think Hamza is a good guy,” the former Empoli playmaker adds. “I have a good relationship with him, not only on the pitch but off the pitch. We have to keep going like that and looking forward to every game.”
Barry Ferguson thinks Rangers’ £3m man is best as a number ten
Bajrami took his tally to four goals in 20 games when finding the net at Hampden Park. He also found the target against Motherwell in the League Cup semi-final to set up that Old Firm decider in the national stadium.
And legendary Rangers skipper Barry Ferguson feels that Bajrami may be best suited to that number ten role, given the freedom to pull the strings.
"Nedim Bajrami is starting to look like a £3 million player now he's being deployed in the number ten role," Ferguson tells the Daily Record.
"I really enjoyed the way he got his goal [against Celtic]. He wasn't just happy to play Igamane in and then stand back admiring his own pass. He was on the move right away because he sniffed there might be the chance for a tap-in if Kasper Schmeichel spilled the shot.
"And that is exactly what happened."
