RUGBY STEVIE’S ROYAL RUMBLE

Lafferty hoping he can score goals that ignites Killie safety bid..starting at Ibrox

KYLE LAFFERTY reckons he’s earning a reputation as a survival specialist as he vowed to score the goals that will haul Kilmarnock away from trouble.

The Northern Ireland striker penned a short-term deal at the relegation-threatened Rugby Park outfit and is set for an Ibrox baptism if he can get clearance to play against former club Rangers.

It emerged yesterday that new Killie boss Tommy Wright was set to sign his 33-year-old compatriot and the deal was later agreed.

Lafferty was most recently in Italy with Reggina but was desperate for a move to Britain to be close to his family after the death of his sister Sonia late last year.

The frontman had a spell in Norway where he helped fire Sarpsborg clear of drop danger – and wants to do the same for Killie who travel to Govan on the back of a six-game losing streak.

Lafferty said: “I’m getting a name for coming in and saving teams. I went to Norway to save the team and I was given one or two other options to save teams from relegation too.

“I can’t understand why this group of players are where they are but hopefully if I can come in and score a few goals and get the team playing well it can push us up the table.

“When the gaffer gave me a call about linking up with him it was a no-brainer for me. I know him from working with Northern Ireland and I know the type of football he plays and also how good a manager he is. Italy was good. I enjoyed it when I was there before with Palermo and it started well for me. But I lost my sister two months ago now and ever since then it changed.

“It was different, I wanted to be close to my family here and my family back in Ireland too.

“It was difficult going back to Italy, not seeing them and only being on Facetime. So I wanted to come back and get close to my family again.”

Lafferty was part of the last Light Blues title-winning side a decade ago in his first spell at Ibrox and insists there is no doubt they will be crowned champions ago under Steven Gerrard, who took him back to Rangers for a second stint from Hearts.

Ahead of his potential return, he said: “I’ve got great memories there.

Seeing some of the players I’ve been in a dressing room with will be nice but all friendships go out the window when you’re on the pitch.

“Everyone knows

Rangers have been exceptional and they will win the league this season.

Anyone who says they won’t, there’s something wrong with you and you’re delusional really. But I will be doing everything I can to get three points for Kilmarnock if the international clearance comes across from Italy. “They are going to end up champions so if we can go there, give them a game and get points off them it would be fantastic.” Boss Wright (below) – who is without the suspended Alan Power – was delighted to get his man after bemoaning the lack of a cutting edge in his 1-0 debut defeat to Motherwell.

He said: “It wasn’t a long conversation. I just told him to get his backside down here and that I’ll help him and he’ll help me in the remaining games.

“We haven’t been scoring enough. The Motherwell game was a prime example. Paul Stephenson said to me that if we’d had Lafferty he’d have scored a hat-trick. “It’s not often when the window shuts you get a chance to sign someone of Kyle’s quality. You minimise the risk if you know someone knows the league so it should be easier for him to hit the ground running. “I worked with him for a brief period when I helped Michael O’neill and he had that real purple patch where we got to the Euros.”

RANGERS have a Royal appointment in Europe while closing in on the league crown a decade after they were last kings of Scotland.

And Steven Gerrard has urged his players to seize the huge opportunity in front of them ahead of a massive week for the club.

The Light Blues boss (above) is looking for a reaction from his squad when Kilmarnock pitch up at Ibrox today as they look to bounce back from last Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Hamilton, their worst display of the season according to Gerrard.

A win would put them 21 points clear of Celtic, in action at St Johnstone tomorrow lunchtime, and leave them just 13 points from history with nine games left.

And the visit of new Rugby Park boss Tommy Wright’s men is quickly followed by Thursday’s Europa League last-32 first leg clash against Royal Antwerp in Belgium as continental action resumes after a two-month break.

Gers progressed beyond that stage 12 months ago with victory over Braga before going out to Bayer Leverkusen in a Covid-interrupted knockout tie. With doubts persisting over the Scottish Cup being completed this season, Gerrard hailed his players for putting themselves into such a healthy position in one of the biggest campaigns in their history.

He said: “We’re approaching a very exciting time with an incredible opportunity to make the season a success. We have the chance in the coming weeks to get to the last 16 in Europe and match what we did last season. We want to try to improve on that.

“In terms of the league, the players have worked ever so hard and done so well to put ourselves in this position and in this place. We want to go and try to grab that opportunity that’s in front of us.

“We have a real contrast in games because of the run we’re on in Europe as well. Kilmarnock is the next challenge. They’ll be organised, they have experienced players and will have a lift from a new manager – we want to be ready for that challenge.

“You normally get a new manager bounce. They didn’t find that against Motherwell and we don’t want them to find it against us.

“Tommy’s a really experienced manager and at some point he’ll turn Kilmarnock around. But you have to move on from challenge to challenge.”

Gerrard’s job today is tougher with the loss of Kemar Roofe – after his failed appeal – and Alfredo Morelos, who is also serving a retrospective ban.

But he has been boosted by the return of Scott

Arfield (inset) to training, having been out with an ankle injury since Boxing Day.

PHIL FODEN has jumped to the top of the pile among English football’s dizzying array of attacking midfield talent.

After his performance in Manchester City’s 4-1 win at Liverpool, an acid test of his mentality in a huge game, I honestly think he could go on to become the best midfield player in the world.

Yes, that’s high praise. And when he has Jack Grealish, Mason Mount and James Maddison for company to contest those three positions behind the striker for England, 20-year-old Foden is not short of competition.

But when I watched his display at Anfield – the dynamism, assists, intelligence, work ethic, positional awareness and crowned by a brilliant goal – I saw a player who has got the lot.

His quick feet and ability to ghost past opponents reminds me of Gazza (below) – the Paul Gascoigne who won a nation’s hearts before his serious knee injury.

There’s a bit of everything about Foden: fantastic talent, entertainer, team player. There’s also a bit of edge to his game, a bit of magician.

And his emergence as a jewel in the crown of English football is yet another reason why City manager Pep Guardiola is such a genius.

Where pundits were telling Guardiola to send Foden out on loan, or risk his talent withering on the vine, Pep didn’t discard him or throw him in the deep end too soon.

While Chelsea star Mount had a season out on loan at Derby, Maddison was maturing in the Championship with Norwich, and Grealish was leading Aston Villa back into the Premier League – and keeping them there – Foden’s brilliance was cultivated in-house at the Etihad.

Before this season, we had seen glimpses

of Foden’s talent and we knew he was one to watch. But this has been his breakthrough year, the season when he has come bursting through the curtains to claim his place centre stage.

And if you had to pick just one jewel in the crown who is going to shine at the Euros for England this summer, for me it has to be Foden. That’s

taking nothing away from Grealish, who has been Villa’s shining light for two or three years now.

But you just wonder how effective he could be if he was surrounded by City’s assorted talents.

That’s taking nothing away from Mount, who has quickly established himself as a major player in new Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel’s grand design. And that’s taking nothing away from Maddison either, whose football education under Brendan Rodgers’ terrific management at Leicester will bring the best out of him.

All three have shown fantastic development.

But there is something of the street footballer about Foden that reminds me of Gazza and Wayne Rooney.

If you have seen the video of him running rings round his pals in the streets of Stockport on Youtube, you’ll know what I mean. And I reckon Grealish, Mount and Maddison could do the same if they wanted.

I honestly believe we are watching the coming of age – in football terms – of a player who will become the best midfielder in the world.

If I was a manager with £100million to spend on a single player right now, I’d go out and buy Phil Foden.