The only thing Davo should be chasing at his age is trophies so staying at Rangers makes perfectSAYS sense
STEVE LOMAS reckons that at 37, Steven Davis is too old to be chasing after the ball.
But the former St Johnstone boss sees no reason why his fellow Northern Irishman has to call off his hunt for silverware and records.
The Rangers veteran left Motherwell and St Mirren disappointed on Tuesday when he opted to pen a new 12-month deal at Ibrox.
Record Sport revealed last week Fir Park boss Graham Alexander and his Paisley counterpart Stephen Robinson were both keen on adding the Gers midfielder’s vast experience to their squads.
But that prospect worried Lomas, who feared the scavenging requirements of clubs lacking Gers’ ability to retain possession would have taken a heavy toll on a player heading into the twilight of his career – risking his continued involvement with Northern Ireland squad.
Instead, his new Light Blues deal means Davis will likely have a more relaxed workload at Ibrox.
And Lomas hopes that will allow him to remain on track for his quest for 150 international caps.
He said: “Stevie showed against Celtic in the Scottish Cup semi at Hampden and the Europa League final in Seville how instrumental he can still be at the top level, even at 37.
“There’s still plenty life left in his legs and Ibrox is a good place for him to be. Let’s have it right, apart from European ties and the Old Firm games, Rangers will dominate the ball most of the time so he won’t have to do too much chasing around.
“I saw stories linking him with a couple of other clubs in Scotland but I found at the tail end of my career, the lower down you go, the harder it is because you don’t see as much of the ball and it becomes more about physicality and the battle.
“So this new deal suits all parties. Rangers are getting a consummate professional who now realises he’s probably not going to play every game at this stage in his career but can also be relied upon.
“For Steven’s point of view, it keeps him playing at the top level with the chance of winning medals, even if it does mean he has to be a bit part player, rather than going to other teams in Scotland.
“He’ll be able to come on to games and use his experience to keep the ball ticking over. If he’d gone to a lesser club, it would be an altogether different game of football.”
Davis – already Britain’s most capped footballer – is in line to make his 136th Northern Ireland appearance in tomorrow’s Nations League clash against Cyprus.
Beyond that, there’s the target of becoming just the eighth European male to chalk up a century and a half on international run outs, joining an elite club boasting Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Gianluigi Buffon as members. Lomas added: “Davo didn’t play much at spells last year but in fairness to Gio van Bronckhorst, Stevie had covid last year and a couple of niggly injuries so his lack of appearances at times was down to the fact he wasn’t available.
“He’s shown when fit, he can still have a major influence on games. So for me, it’s a no-brainer to give him another year.
“And it’s great for Northern Ireland. He’s probably thinking he’ll make 20-odd appearances next year and that’ll keep him in tip-top condition for international duty. There’s more caps to be won, I’m certain of that. If he can potentially get himself towards that 150 mark, what a phenomenal achievement that would be.
“It suits all parties. It keeps Steven going at a good level. When it comes to Northern Ireland, it will suit Ian Baraclough as he won’t be playing 90 minutes week in, week out risking injury.
“It keeps him in a top environment where he can still play a big part without having to run himself into the ground, meaning he’ll still be available for his country.
“That’s important as we’re going
through a bit of a transitional period and if we could keep Davo around another year or two to help the young lads out, it would be a big boost.”
Among Baraclough’s new recruits is Davis’ Ibrox apprentice Charlie McCann. And as far as Lomas is concerned, the 20-year-old couldn’t have a better tutor.
He said: “I haven’t seen much of Charlie but I know they have high hopes for him. But with people like Stevie around him, guiding him, that can only help his chances.
“If you’re a young player asking yourself how do I get to 37 and still be a top player operating at the highest level, there’s not many better role models than Steven.”
There’s been no mention from Rangers of Davis getting a similar player-coach role to the one dished out to Lomas’ old West Ham team-mate Jermain Defoe last summer. The set-up didn’t pan out as hoped and the ex-England striker opted to call it quits at Ibrox last January. And Lomas reckons Davis should steer clear too. He said: “It doesn’t work. The older you get the more important your training and recovery becomes.
“You’ve got to look after yourself. You can’t do that and the coaching.
“OK, he could maybe take the odd finishing session but if you’re talking about training with the first team in the morning then going off to get involved with the under-18s, that just takes up time when you should be resting. You can’t have one foot in and one foot out. “My advice to Steven is to play as long as he can with a team that dominates the ball.”