Watching Buffalo as fan turned me into a headbanger .. he looked selfish, as if it was all about him, but we became best pals on and off pitch
Morelos has won over harshest critic Lafferty
Kyle Lafferty had a perception of what Alfredo Morelos was like before he joined Rangers.
It was of a sulky, selfish Colombian who was wasteful in front of goal.
As an Ibrox fan, Lafferty admits Morelos would get his blood boiling just by watching him on TV.
But that all changed when the big striker returned to the club in the summer of 2018.
Not only did Lafferty begin to appreciate just how good Morelos was – but an unlikely friendship between the pair started to blossom.
Despite the obvious language barrier, they became close.
And Lafferty had to accept that he was working with a top young player who had all the attributes to be a superstar.
He’s convinced that El Bufalo can score 40 goals for Steven Gerrard’s side this season – and fire them into the Betfred Cup Final today at Hampden.
The Northern Irishman is now full of admiration for the 23-year-old whom he rates as the Premiership’s best striker.
On the eve of today’s semi-final against the Jambos, Lafferty told
Mai lSport : “I used to say to Buff – through his translator Daniel Candeias – that as a Rangers fan, I used to bang my head against a wall watching him.
“He was so frustrating, shooting from anywhere in games, from different angles. It was all about HIM. That’s what I thought.
“Alfredo just looked like that type of player.
“But when I joined the club, Alfredo came back from his holiday and was totally different to what I expected.
“His decision making was better, he was happier – he looked spot on. And he hasn’t looked back since.
“I see a different person now. I didn’t realise how good he was before I joined Rangers.
“And this year his finishing has improved massively. He has a lot more composure in front of goal.
“Alfredo’s a top guy as well. For him not understanding me – and me not understanding him – we got on so well at Rangers.
“Sometimes Daniel wasn’t there to translate but we still had a great
laugh. He’s such a good guy to have in the dressing room – everyone loves him.
“Alfredo wants to be at Rangers, he’s comfortable there now.
“He’s brilliant and now wants to be known as the Rangers player who scores goals for them and wins them titles, instead of all the nonsense that went on around him with the red cards, some of which weren’t his fault. I was the same as him when I was 21 or 22. Playing for a massive club, when you want to do well, you end up doing silly things when people get inside your head.
“It’s hard not to react. But he has 10 European goals already and 18 in all competitions. That’s incredible and he’ll kick on again. I said last season that if he hadn’t been sent off so many times, he’d have hit 40 goals.
“Alfredo can definitely achieve that target this year the way he’s going.
“He’s definitely the best striker in the league right now, without a doubt.”
In their Betfred Cup semi-final 12 months ago, Rangers lost to Aberdeen in a game they really should have won.
With Morelos banned and Lafferty cup tied after playing for Hearts, Gerrard had to do without them both and opted for forgotten frontman Umar Sadiq in attack.
It was a decision the Gers boss might regret now and Lafferty has revealed the agony he was suffering watching from the Hampden stands.
He said: “I actually went to the game with my wife and her pals in the Rangers end. We sat with the fans that day.
“It was so disappointing because I knew I should have been out there.
“Whenever I wasn’t involved, I wanted to be a supporter instead of being in the director’s box. I’m a fan so I wanted to be in there for such an important game. It was hard to take. Obviously the manager didn’t have myself or Morelos and had to go with Sadiq up front.
“Listen, Umar wasn’t a bad player. He had something about him and could cause teams problems.
“But I don’t know if he took it seriously enough, if that makes sense?
“Little things would happen in training when he’d have a chance to score but would rather try to chip the keeper.
“Whatever it was, the gaffer didn’t like it. But if his head was on it and he went about things the right way, I don’t think he was a bad player.
“He could have done a job for Rangers but it didn’t work out for him.
“That day against Aberdeen, he was a bit naive getting caught offside a lot.
“It was tough knowing that, with Alfredo suspended, I would have definitely started.
“I thought we’d have enough in the squad to make the final but we didn’t and it was a hard pill to swallow losing that game. It was a big chance lost for Rangers.”
And it’s an opportunity Gerrard and his players can’t afford to miss out on against managerless Hearts this afternoon.
Lafferty – who’s now playing for Norwegian side Sarpsborg – believes the Ibrox side are ready to finally get the monkey off their back by winning a major trophy for the first time since 2011.
He said: “This Rangers squad needs to take the next step now by making a final.
“Just getting over the line will be important psychologically.
“They would be 90 minutes away from a first trophy since returning to the top league.
“So it’s important for them. And knowing the manager and his staff, he’ll have them ready to go.
“Hampden will play a massive part. On that big pitch, Rangers will feel more at home.
“This season, they need to get their hands on a trophy.
“It’s OK getting through in the Europa League and putting Rangers’ name around the world again.
“But every fan wants silverware and ideally the league title.”
Rangers need to win a trophy ... every fan wants silver, ideally the league title