SIGN OF INTENT
Barton key to halting Celtic, says de Boer
RONALD DE BOER last night insisted if Rangers can complete the high-profile capture of Joey Barton they would be landing the leader needed to help smash Celtic’s dreams of 10-in-a-row.
The controversial midfielder visited Murray Park on Saturday to hold talks over a shock switch to Ibrox on a three-year deal.
It is understood Barton was only offered a one-year extension after helping Burnley win the English Championship and the 33-year-old wants the security of a longer contract.
Mark Warburton’s attempts to land Barton, as well as opening talks with representatives of former Spurs and Croatia international Niko Kranjcar, are a significant departure from the Rangers manager’s previous transfer market strategy.
The Englishman enjoyed success last season by signing English lower league players with a point to prove like Wigan’s Martyn Waghorn and James Tavernier, and last week he recruited promising Liverpool youngster Jordan Rossiter.
A Champions League winner with Ajax, de Boer
believes Barton represents the missing part of the puzzle to help last season’s young Championship winners make their mark on the Scottish Premiership after a four-year absence. ‘Joey Barton can help Rangers make the next step,’ said de Boer, who played for Rangers between 2000 and 2004. ‘What is important when you go up to the next step is to have players who have been there, seen it and done it — and Barton is a player with great experience. ‘Joey Barton is maybe not the best player to ever come to Rangers, but he has an attitude in him that he is here for one thing only — winning games. ‘He can give that kind of attitude to the young boys because Rangers are a young squad. ‘You definitely need that kind of character in the dressing room and on the training ground if you want to be successful.’ De Boer, meanwhile, insists it was correct that Rangers had to start in the bottom tier after the club’s liquidation in 2012. But the 67-timescapped former Holland international midfielder believes the Ibrox club has bounced back stronger — and hungrier for success — than ever. ‘It is good to see Rangers are back on track,’ he said. ‘It was sad what happened but good in the sense that football has to be fair. ‘You have to run a healthy club. If that is not the case, then you have to punish them. ‘So it is fair what happened. ‘But now you see Rangers coming back with an exciting young team. ‘I watched their Scottish Cup semi-final final win against Celtic and I saw a team that is hungry and that wants to have success. And that is great to see. ‘You have to learn your lesson and it was a big lesson. ‘I think that can only help Rangers to be hungrier in the future. ‘I think there is a bright future for Rangers. ‘The young players are coming through, the team has its own identity. ‘People respect that and Ibrox will be full every week next season for sure.’