They finally got their man.
Rangers have confirmed the signing of Kyle Lafferty from Heart of Midlothian. The striker has signed a two-year contract with the Glasgow club. The Northern Ireland international joins Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side two weeks into the Scottish Premiership season. Rangers currently sit third with four points from two games while Hearts are the only team with a 100% record at the top of the table.
Lafferty scored 19 goals in 41 matches for Hearts last season, and will spearhead the Rangers attack alongside Alfredo Morelos at Ibrox as Gerrard looks to bring the league title back to Ibrox.
The 30-year-old striker previously played for Rangers between 2008 and 2012 before joining Swiss side Sion to play under Gennaro Gattuso. After spells at Palermo, Norwich, Birmingham City, Çaykur Rizespor and Hearts, he has returned to the blue side of Glasgow for one final crack at a league title.
In worse news for Rangers fans, it was today confirmed that Jamie Murphy has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
📝 #RangersFC are today delighted to announce the signing of Kyle Lafferty (@laffk10) on a two-year deal from @JamTarts.
➡️ https://t.co/6pRkfUfZ63 pic.twitter.com/VK9uIx8ZoH
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) August 22, 2018
Lafferty has won three league titles at Rangers, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups. He now joins goalkeeper Allan McGregor as the only other member of the current Rangers squad to have won a league winners’ medal with Rangers.
With Steven Gerrard looking to challenge Celtic’s dominance in Scotland, the acquisition of Lafferty brings in some big-game and cup-winning experience. Gerrard told reporters:
“I believe we are a young squad, so he brings vital experience to us. He is a Rangers nut and I think he ticks all the boxes in what I am looking for in terms of what I want from a front man.”
The Northern Ireland international commented, “I score big goals and I think I have done that my entire career but throughout the whole squad there are goals everywhere and that is the most important thing.”
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