NEW RECRUITS ARE READY TO HANDLE HEAT
MARK ALLEN has never experienced anything like the Ibrox cauldron during his time in football and says an ability to handle it is now a priority in new recruits.
The Rangers director of football hailed the arrival of big names Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis who have a wealth of experience and in the latter someone who knows the club’s demands.
And the Welshman is confident pre-contract signings Jordan Jones and Glen Kamara also have what it takes to deal with the Gers pressure when they arrive in the summer.
Former Manchester City chief Allen’s role is key in the structure of the football department, with boss Steven Gerrard revealing he speaks to him up to half a dozen times a day.
He admitted they had been pursuing Davis and Defoe for some time before the pair put pen to paper with Kamara and Jones part of the plan to pick up the Premiership’s best.
And Allen said of the Dundee and Kilmarnock aces: “You look at various characteristics when you are trying to sign players.
“One of the big ones is whether they can handle Ibrox. It’s a cauldron, an unbelievable set of fans, the like of which I have never seen before.
“So you need to make sure they are tried and tested and they understand the league. In these two players we know that because we have watched them over a period of time and we know they can play in the Premiership and probably higher.
“Jermain and Steven have also been on the radar for quite some time.
“There are a lot of things, You don’t think, ‘Well, he can do that so he must therefore tick that box’.
“There are a number of things you look at. You track them, watch them play and also do a bit of your own research in terms of background on and off the pitch.”