AGAINST
RANGERS LATEST Lee stunned at the two-year transformation
It wasn’t so long ago that Lee Hodson was being shipped out on loan by MK Dons to Kilmarnock.
When he arrived in Ayrshire in February 2016, his career looked at a serious crossroads.
Now, the full-back’s objectives couldn’t be any clearer.
In the space of 15 months, Hodson forced himself into Northern I rela nd ’s squad for the Euro f inals in France then won a move to Rangers.
And as he sett les into manager Pedro Caixinha’s new regime at Ibrox, the 25-year- old is now fully focused on going to the World Cup in Russia next summer. He might not be a f irst pick every week for the Portuguese coach in Govan. But in terms of his international ambit ions , he doesn’t have to be – such is Michael O’Neill’s lack of resources. What Hodson has in his favour is his versatility.
It’s possible that Caixinha hasn’t signed more full-back cover for James Tavernier and Lee Wallace because he knows Hodson can do BOTH roles.
That’s why he’s so invaluable to his country now.
And it’s why O’Neill has used him to go up against the likes of Germany ace Julian Draxler in the World Cup qualifiers.
Hodson has played in Rangers’ opening three games this season, on either side of the pitch.
He wants to enjoy a productive season at Ibrox before nailing a Northern Ireland berth in Russia.
Hodson said: “Northern Ireland are in a really good position at the moment in terms of getting a play-off place for the World Cup.
“But we have two big games coming up against San Marino away and Czech Republic at home in September.
“If we win both games, we’re nearly there. The squad are full of confidence right now and if we do reach the play- offs we will feel certain we can beat anyone.
“Michael has given the squad a real togetherness. We’re all really close now and look forward to meeting up.
“Of course, we all want to get back to another major tournament after the Euros last summer.
“And thankfully we have a lot of boys playing for really big clubs now, which helps.
“We all have the same goals as a squad and Michael must take a lot of the credit for that.
“Not a lot of people thought we’d make the Euros in France. Then they thought we wouldn’t get a point when we were there.
“But we showed we can compete at a major finals.
“If someone had said to me two years ago that I would have been at a Euros, signed for Rangers with the possibility of going to a World Cup, I wouldn’t have believed
them. I was at MK Dons and