THE MAKING OF MORELOS
Lomas: That will be Jermain’s legacy at Ibrox
THE profits from Jermain Defoe’s Scottish swansong can be counted in goals and precious silverware.
But Steve Lomas reckons the real riches from his old West Ham team-mate’s time in Scotland will only be banked once Alfredo Morelos moves on.
The veteran was brought in to provide competition for the Colombian at a time when Steven Gerrard was losing patience with his hot-head striker.
But over Defoe’s three-year stint in Glasgow, that rivalry blossomed into a friendship as the veteran poacher grew to become a mentor that the younger firebrand frontman could trust.
Ex-St Johnstone manager Lomas reckons good habits Morelos has picked up off his pal are once again coming to the fore.
Slimmed-down and back on form, he was yesterday named December’s Player of the Month award after a run of six goals in his last eight run-outs.
And Lomas said: “It can only be good for a young guy like Morelos to have worked so closely with Jermain and seen how he conducts himself.
“It’s been a long time since I shared a dressing room with the wee man but I remember just how good a trainer he was.
“That can only be invaluable. Morelos is 25 now and the best thing he could do to extend his career is to look at what Jermain’s doing that keeps him playing at 39.
“We’ve seen over the last few weeks that Morelos seems to have knuckled down a wee bit and got himself into better shape and maybe that’s behind his return to form.
“It’s okay him being a big fish up in Scotland but if he wants to go to the next level and reach a stage like the Premier League he needs to keep himself in top shape and there’s no one better to take inspiration from on that front than Jermain.
“I’m pretty sure there will be Premier League managers getting in touch with Jermain to ask about Morelos.”
Gers secured the services of a proven penalty-box expert when Defoe followed his former England skipper Gerrard to Glasgow in January 2019.
But Ibrox was no retirement home as the 39-year-old ex-Spurs, Portsmouth and Sunderland striker proved he’d lost none of his killer instincts by averaging a goal every 99 minutes during his three-year spell.
A parting of the ways has been on the cards for some time, with Defoe spending longer on the pundits’ sofa than the Ibrox bench this season. But the part he played in last year’s title triumph will ensure he is always welcomed back at Ibrox with open arms.
Lomas added: “First and foremost Jermain will be remembered as a guy who joined the club at a crucial point in their rebuild and played a crucial part in stopping Celtic from reaching that magic number of 10.
“You only have to look at Jermain’s stats – 32 goals in 74 appearances and the vast majority of these appearances I’d imagine were off the bench. So there’s no denying he’s made a telling contribution.
“Stevie Gerrard used him very wisely. To score almost a goal every two games is still a phenomenal strike rate.
“Getting that first ever medal was great reward for him. He won’t have realised the size of the Old Firm before he arrived but he’ll know now.
“He’s been hero-worshipped these past three years and his place in the club’s history is secure after stopping Celtic reaching that record.
“It was just reward for a special player that he got to finish his career off at such a fantastic club like Rangers. It’s been great for both parties.”
Defoe was handed a playercoaching role by Gerrard in the summer but since Gio van Bronckhorst’s appointment he’s managed just one minute of action. But Lomas reckons he’s still got plenty to give.
He said: “Jermain’s always had that natural instinct as a striker and he’s never lost it.
“He always reminded me of Ian Wright. No backlift yet he’d get a shot away so quickly. It was always a nightmare for defenders trying to get set and block.
“The only mistake I think he’s made in his career is going to America too early because he soon realised he still had plenty left in the tank to do well here in Britain.
“And it wouldn’t surprise me if he played on if he can find something that stimulates him. There’s no two ways about it, he will probably be frustrated that he’s only played two games this season.
“He’s got that arrogance, in a good way. He’ll still believe if he got the same game time as Morelos he’d outscore him. The kid just loves football.
“The only question is if he can find something that tickles his fancy.
“If you’re an English Championship club needing goals surely you’d give it a thought? Maybe do St Johnstone a wee favour and get them out of trouble. Finances might be a problem but if Callum Davidson could get someone like Jermain, for me it would guarantee Saints’ survival.”
If he wants to go to the next level there’s no one better to be inspired by STEVE LOMAS KNOWS DEFOE IS ROLE MODEL FOR MORELOS