A BOLT FROM THE
KEMAR ROOFE has revealed his delight after sealing a switch to Rangers from Anderlecht – despite the move coming more or less out of the blue.
The English-born striker put pen to paper on a fouryear deal at Ibrox yesterday and will link-up with Steven Gerrard and his teammates once they return from Leverkusen on Thursday.
It remains to be seen whether Roofe will become a direct replacement for Rangers’ star man Alfredo Morelos, but the 27-year-old insists he is ready to prove his worth at the Glasgow giants.
Speaking at Auchinhowie yesterday, he said: “It is amazing. Things happen so quickly, so it is difficult to get a perspective of what is really going on.
“Obviously coming here to the training ground to see the environment, see all the staff, you realise this is serious, this is a big place. Their main goal is obviously to win and get success again.
“I have asked some top players from the past about their experiences in Scotland and they always say that playing against Rangers is probably one of the best games they have ever played in and they have played in many different games around the world.
“As a footballer you want to test yourself and you also want to be playing at the biggest clubs possible.
“Unfortunately with the times now with Covid, the fans won’t be there but when it all gets resolved the atmosphere will be incredible.
“In my past I have been blessed to be able to play in front of the Leeds fans and the Anderlecht fans and now this is another step and it is going to be incredible.”
One man who won’t be leaving Ibrox this summer, however, is former England internationalist Jermain Defoe.
Roofe grew up idolising the former Sunderland and Bournemouth striker and he admits he can’t wait to be training alongside him every day.
Asked if he was eager to meet his former hero, he continued: “Yeah of course it is going to excite anybody to work with someone like him, with his experience, his qualities.
“I have grown up watching him at Tottenham and in England, so yeah hopefully I am going to learn so much from him. I am excited.”
Roofe knows all about the pressures of what he is coming into after making the switch to Glasgow.
The former Leeds United man used to play in front of a packed-out Elland Road every week with desperate supporters who were craving promotion back to England’s top flight.
He ultimately missed out on the Yorkshire club’s successes this year after moving to Belgium, but that disappointment has made him even more driven to topple Celtic next term.
On how he has handled pressure in the past, he added: “You just get on with it, you prepare every day at the training ground and you just play your own game.
“For me, I just play football and live life as I can only control what I can control.
If I can’t control it then I don’t need to worry about it. Sometimes the pressure will bring the best out of people.
“I’m an attacking player, I will give 100 per cent. I will work for the team, hopefully I will create chances and score chances to win games.
“For me, I play football and it is already in me to win games.
“I want to be a winner regardless of missing out on success at Leeds or not. I still have that drive in me.”
Roofe is the fifth new player at Ibrox this summer after Ianis Hagi, Calvin Bassey, Jon McLaughlin and Leon Balogun all arrived at the club.
Rangers supporters didn’t have long to wait for their club’s sixth recruit, though, with the club announcing last night that St Gallen frontman Cedric Itten had signed a fouryear deal.
The Swiss international, who bagged 19 goals in 34 games in the Super League last season, gives Gerrard further options in attack for this season’s tilt at the title.
The move has raised further questions about the future of Lille-linked Alfredo Morelos, who has been linked with a move to France in recent weeks.
The Ligue 1 outfit have had two bids for Gent striker Jonathan David rejected and it has been reported that the Belgian side are looking for a fee of £27million for the Canadian international.
Leeds and Borussia Moenchengladbach are also weighing up bids for David and if he was to opt for a move to England or Germany, then Lille would ramp up their interest in Morelos.
The Colombian recently fuelled transfer speculation regarding his future by sharing a report from his homeland linking him with a move to France.
I want to be a winner. I still have that drive in me