I used to tear my hair out at Alfredo.. now I want him to stay and be a hero like Coisty
SAYS KYLE LAFFERTY
ALFREDO MORELOS left Kyle Lafferty tearing his hair out as a Rangers supporter.
But when Steven Gerrard handed the Northern Irishman the chance to become a teammate with the fiery Colombian he admits he took no time to realise the striker was actually a cut above.
Gone was the selfish streak that saw Morelos shoot every time he received the ball within 30 yards of the opposition goal to be replaced with a razor sharp intellect and workrate in the final third.
Now, four-and-a-half years on from Morelos’ arrival in Govan, Lafferty is back observing his boyhood club from a distance and claims the only thing hair-raising about the frontman is the prospect of him cutting short his love affair at Ibrox.
Speculation is never far from the 25-year-old who has rediscovered his mojo under Gio van Brockhorst to slam home four goals in his last five outings.
That has moved him on to 107 from 211 games for Gers.
And while his goalscoring across the last five seasons may, at times, have been as streaky as his post-winter-shutdown barnet, Lafferty insists Morelos is the main man at Ibrox.
Not only that, he reckons the striker has matured from being a raw talent to the complete package. And Lafferty has no doubt that if Morelos was to commit to Rangers even further than the end of his contract in the summer on 2023, then he could be held in the same legendary status as Ibrox greats including the club’s record goalscorer Ally McCoist.
Morelos became Gers record scorer in Europe just over a year ago – smashing through McCoist’s previous best of 21.
And while it’s highly doubtful he will ever match the Ibrox great’s all-time goals record in Light Blue – 355 – Lafferty insists Morelos can still be mentioned in the same breath.
Speaking to Record Sport, Lafferty said: “When Alfredo came to Rangers he was young and raw. He still is young. And watching games at first I’d be pulling my hair out! He just always wanted to shoot.
“He had that instinct that he just wanted to shoot whenever he got the ball and no matter where he was in relation to the goal.
“But going in a year later as a team-mate he was in transition and in recent years the transformation in his game has been extraordinary.
“He has come from a player who just wants to score goals to becoming basically the complete player.
“He has added assists to his game, he had the hold-up aspect to his game already and he’s like a wee bull, nobody can get near him.
“Alfredo added more to his game and seeing him in training his finishing was better than I expected. He has now kicked on even more.
“He is getting goals with all types of finishes. Headers, left foot, right foot, first-time shots.
“My eyes opened from what I saw of him as a supporter to what I saw training and working directly with him. He was completely different.
“Alfredo is an exceptional player and speaking as a Rangers fan I hope he stays at the club for a long time.
“He is worshipped by the supporters, rightly so.
“And he can go on and break records for the club. He already has. But he can break even more if he sticks around.
“He can go on to be a Rangers legend held in the same regard as Coisty, Mark Hateley and
other icons from down the years. I’m absolutely sure of it.
“Alfredo could be one of those players if he commits to the club and continues to progress as he has done in his four or five years in Glasgow.”
Lafferty is halfway through the Cypriot season with Anorthosis Famagusta.
And he admits that he is loving life in the eastern Mediterranean where he has an option to extend his deal for a further year at the end of the campaign.
But Lafferty still keeps a close eye on developments in Scotland, with his other former club Hearts looking strong for a top-three finish and his first love Rangers in pole position to retain their title.
He has nothing but respect for the man who took him back to Ibrox – Steven Gerrard – despite the manager then axing him a year later, insisting Lafferty hadn’t done enough to stay at the club.
The striker was gutted to see Gerrard leave Ibrox for Aston Villa in November. But he has seen enough to know that Rangers are in safe hands with new gaffer van Bronckhorst.
Lafferty added: “The fans were disappointed with Gerrard going and it was a massive loss. He transformed the team and the whole club really.
“He left them in a good position for Gio to hit the ground running which is exactly what’s happened.
“They are in good hands. If they hold onto the key men in the window and add one or two I’m sure they will kick on.
“It’ll be an exciting end to the season. I just think Rangers will be too strong.
“I think they’ll pick up the points they need in the derbies but, crucially, will win more points outside the Old Firm games which is crucial.”