Daily Record

KEVIN DRINKELL

3 reasons why Alfie must stay

- CRAIG SWAN c.swan@dailyrecor­d.co.uk

KEVIN DRINKELL reckons a crack at the Champions League and a close-knit dressing room will have Alfredo Morelos fully focused on a future at Rangers.

The Colombian striker has played a key role in his team’s title success and also managed to tick-off a couple more personal milestones during a terrific term.

In notching 16 goals for Steven Gerrard’s troops, Morelos also smashed Ally McCoist’s all-time European goal record for Rangers and broke his duck against Celtic last weekend after almost four seasons of trying.

Backed by his boss and his team-mates, the striker has shone during a season which started with doubts over his long-term position.

At the beginning of the campaign, interest from Qatar and France had put the spotlight on Morelos’ future.

Drinkell told Record Sport back then Gerrard had to look his hitman in the eye and ask if he really wanted to be part of the Rangers revolution. The reply has been emphatic. Morelos now has a title medal, a chance to add a Scottish Cup gong and a tilt at the Champions League on his menu with the crucial qualifiers in the summer holding the ticket to the lucrative group stages and the biggest platform in European club football.

The ex-Ibrox ace believes these sort of incentives as well as the huge levels of support he has received from inside the club during more difficult times could be key factors in the mind of the player when the transfer vultures begin circling again this summer.

Drinkell explained: “During that period when, externally, maybe people like Morelos were getting a bit of criticism, they stuck together. I’m sure he now feels even more part of a family and a squad with a manager, players and fans in it together.

“I would have thought he’d appreciate that. Maybe be a bit more settled and think: ‘Why would I go away? What better is there out there than the feeling I have at the moment?’

“I would have thought he’d feel like that. Success brings people together even more and there is a lot for Rangers’ players to be excited about looking ahead.”

Drinkell joked at the thought of his old pal McCoist hunting through dusty videos of his European games trying to claim another strike to get his record back off Morelos, but he does feel the Colombian’s first goal against Celtic will have serious meaning.

Drinkell struck in his very first derby as Rangers routed Billy McNeill’s side by a 5-1 scoreline and also netted at Parkhead in a 2-1 win during his first season as Graeme Souness’ men won the title.

Morelos, on the other hand, was unable to get one over the line until last weekend.

Now that he has? Well, it could be the start of a whole new Old Firm chapter.

Drinkell said: “Morelos has always been admired by the fans as he went into the club as a youngish player and people could see his ability. He scored

a junk load of goals and then it was just about the next level.

“Sometimes in your career, there are teams you just can’t score against or certain things go against you, so that Celtic record would always have been playing on his mind.

“It was just something he had to get over.

“Something he had to prove he could do. Probably for himself as much as anything else, so it’ll be a huge relief for him and the manager who supported him. He’d have been waiting for that moment where he could look him in the eye and say: ‘I told you it would come’.

“It was a stigma of sorts in terms of the fact it was something that critics would label against him.

“I was lucky. I scored in my first Old Firm game, when Rangers won 5-1 at Ibrox.

“I also scored a header at Parkhead that season. It went the other way for me and I got instant acceptance.

“The Ibrox win put us to the top of the table straight away. Back then, Rangers and Celtic didn’t play seventh or eighth or ninth game of the quarter, it could be early and that first one was.

“The way it panned out was the best way when you make a really good start.

“It probably didn’t bother his team-mates because he made up for it in so many other games and big games at that, such as in European competitio­ns.

“But it would be something for him to put to bed, if you like.

“It’s amazing how easy it was in the end. “A little flick on and being in the right spot just to knock it over the line from a yard. “Maybe the build-up had a part to play. Going into every one previously, it was mentioned. Five games he’s not scored against Celtic. 10 games. 15 games. “I never heard it talked about or mentioned in the entire build-up to last weekend’s game. “I can’t remember seeing it and maybe the focus not being on it made it happen the way it did.”

There’s a lot for Rangers’ players to be excited about looking ahead KEVIN DRINKELL ON THE BUZZ AT IBROX

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 ??  ?? FINALLY Morelos celebrates goal against Celts and winning title, left
FINALLY Morelos celebrates goal against Celts and winning title, left
 ??  ?? OLD FIRM GLORY Drinkell
OLD FIRM GLORY Drinkell

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