Kemar is ready to raise the Roofe as a Rangers player
Rangers fans are looking for a new goalscoring hero – and Kemar Roofe believes he’s the man.
It seems inevitable that Alfredo Morelos will be departing Ibrox sooner or later.
The Colombian has only scored once in 2020, and that form isn’t acceptable for a side desperate to claim silverware.
Roofe, signed from Anderlecht last week for a fee believed to be £3.5-million, looks like a versatile, attacking player, and has been described as a striker, winger or midfielder.
However, the 27-year-old is very clear about the role he will take under Steven Gerrard.
He said: “I’m here to score goals. “To be honest, I can’t remember the last time I played out wide.
“My playing style is that I can play in many positions. Maybe that’s why people see me as a wide player.
“I can obviously do a job out there, but at the moment I see myself as a No. 9. I’d like to think I’ll rise to the challenge of scoring goals here. That’s normal as a No. 9.
“Everyone will expect me to score in every game, which isn’t realistic.
“That won’t happen, but I’ll go out on the pitch trying to do it.
“I enjoy scoring, and I want to score in every game.”
His optimism is something that will delight Steven Gerrard.
The Rangers boss has looked tired of the constant speculation surrounding the future of Morelos.
He admitted the striker’s head had
been turned when he spoke after watching his side exit the Europa League away to Bayer Leverkusen last Thursday night.
A surly, disinterested player is no use to Gerrard. He can only put up with difficult personalities if they’re producing on the pitch.
Roofe spent three years with Leeds United, and his move to Anderlecht last summer didn’t please the Yorkshire club’s head coach, Marcelo Bielsa.
Playing for the Argentinian was an education – on and off the park – for Roofe, and he’s relishing the chance to play for another famous name.
He said: “When I retire, I’ll have not a bad CV, having worked with guys like Marcelo Bielsa, Vincent Kompany and Steven Gerrard.
“They’re massive names in the game. Gerrard and Kompany were top, top players in their day, who are now transitioning into being managers.
“Bielsa is a well-known top manager, so working with these people will only benefit me at Rangers.
“I’ve had good experiences of big clubs, where I’ve had to understand the culture, and what the club means to the area and to the fans.
“As soon as you understand what it means to the supporters and earn their respect, that’s huge.
“I know how big Rangers are because I grew up in England watching football.
“It’s not common if you don’t know who Celtic or Rangers are – even if you don’t watch Scottish football.
“Everyone knows who these clubs are, so I know they’re massive.
“I also know players I’ve played with who are from Scotland, or have played with Rangers or Celtic. “They’ve told me a lot about it.” Roofe is unlikely to make his debut against St Mirren today, with Steven Gerrard revealing his fitness is a week to 10 days behind the rest of the squad.
After his year in Belgium, Roofe is back in British football, and maintains he’s here to help Rangers end their long trophy drought.
He added: “I want to see this Rangers journey to the end, of course I do.
“I’m playing football because I want to win games, be successful and get better.
“Every club is always on a journey, and there can only be one winner.
“For anyone who doesn’t win, they’ll be disappointed. I know that if you’re second you’re nowhere in Glasgow. But that’s the case everywhere.
“It was the same at Leeds for me and in Belgium with Anderlecht. At Anderlecht, if you don’t win with style, it means nothing.
“Every club has a way of seeing things. The most-important thing is just getting three points as often as possible.
“The attraction of coming here was a bit of everything for me – the opportunity, the players, the fan-base, the history of the club. Everything.”
Steven Gerrard’s time at Rangers will be defined by whether or not he wins trophies. Stopping Celtic claiming 10-in-a-row will also be a major issue.
Roofe’s talks with the Englishman have been straightforward.
“What the manager said to me was simple,” he revealed. “He wants me to work hard for myself and the team, and play my normal game.
“He wants me to help the team win. It’s pretty straightforward, black and white.
“I need to do what I’ve been doing to get myself here – and I can’t wait to start.”