JOE IS PICK OF THE BUNCH
Worrall’s in the Gers team on merit and not because Stevie has made a deal with Forest to play him insists Burns
KENNY BURNS insists Joe Worrall is in Steven Gerrard’s Rangers starting line-up on merit after dislodging Nikola Katic. But the Nottingham Forest legend admitted the biggest test for the defender in his loan move north from the City Ground will come in the next Old Firm game. Burns believes Worrall has enough in his locker to sail through the Scottish Premiership and has justified Gerrard’s faith in him. The 21-year-old’s inclusion at the expense of Katic, signed for a fee in the region of £1.5million, has raised eyebrows and Worrall came in for criticism following the recent defeat to Livingston. Worrall bounced back from that with an assured display in the Europa League win over Rapid Vienna and had a few shaky moments despite Rangers beating table-topping Hearts 3-1 on Sunday. Rangers fan Burns scoffs at suggestions Gerrard has to play Worrall as part of his loan agreement and believes he is the best central defender available to the Light Blues. The 65-year-old former Scotland international, who won two European Cups with Forest, is convinced Worrall will return to Forest and captain Aitor Karanka’s side. The young stopper was handed the armband by former Gers boss Mark Warburton at Forest last season and Burns told how he pulled no punches with more senior players following a 3-1 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Burns said: “I’ve seen Rangers play and I’ve seen Joe Worrall play. For me he’s better than anything else they’ve got so Steven Gerrard is right to play him. “I don’t believe for a minute there will be anything in his loan agreement that stipulates Joe must play. I just can’t see Gerrard agreeing to that.
“If Worrall is in that team then he’s in it on merit. Gerrard didn’t take him to Rangers to make the tea so he’s right to play him.
“Joe will put his head in where it hurts and I would play him ahead of Nikola Katic alongside Connor Goldson as Gerrard is doing.
“If some fans believe Katic should be playing then, without being disrespectful to the supporters, I would say the manager is working with Joe every day of the week so he knows best.
“You have to support your manager and particularly when it’s someone like Gerrard, who has more experience than anyone as a player.
“Joe’s a big honest lad. He’s still learning his trade and an Old Firm game might come as a wee bit of a shock to him but the rest of the fixtures won’t be a problem for him.
“He’s learning but he’s got enough about him to play in the Scottish Premiership because it’s not as difficult a league as the English Championship. He’ll coast through Scotland’s top flight but the Old Firm game is the real test and it’s about how much he improves between now and the game against Celtic in December.
“Joe will get better and better. He came through the Nottingham Forest academy and he was captain of the first team.
“I’m told he stood up in the dressing room and said ‘You, you and you never tried a leg today’ after they lost.
“He’s not frightened of telling people when they aren’t doing enough and in some of the Rangers games I watched I wasn’t impressed with their central defenders.
“That’s why, if I was Gerrard, I would play Worrall. He’s on loan for a year and when he comes back to Nottingham Forest I think he’ll be captain because he’s a leader.
“I was a bit surprised Nottingham Forest allowed him to leave but Aitor Karanka had brought in Michael Dawson and he’s got Tobias Figueiredo, Danny Fox and the boy Michael Hefele from Huddersfield.
“One or two of those players might leave next season and Worrall will come in and by that time he’ll be better for his year at Ibrox.
“He will come on in leaps and bounds playing under Gerrard but I’d prefer Joe to play on the right of the two. That’s where he is strongest.”
Burns was an apprentice at Ibrox when the club boasted defensive legends like John Greig and Sandy Jardine and believes Worrall is in the mould of those Ibrox greats.
He said: “I’m from Peat Road in Pollok and I’m a Rangers man through and through. My family were all Rangers mad.
“I was at the club for a year when John Greig and Sandy Jardine were there, proper defenders in the tradition of the club.
“I was only there for one season and they got rid of me and I joined Birmingham. I’m excited every year about Rangers and it was sad to see them go to the bottom of Scottish football but they’ve clawed their way back up and they’re doing all right.
“Joe hasn’t won anything in England simply because Nottingham Forest haven’t been good enough but Rangers have massive history and he will improve their team.
“He might think it’s just a doddle but he’ll soon learn how physical it is as he plays the better teams.”