GERS HAVE GOT THEIR OJO BACK
Kop ace Sheyi looks the real deal – and with Davis and Helander alongside him Light Blues can be a force this season
THERE’S never too much to be taken from the first competitive game of the summer – especially against part-timers on a plastic pitch at the end of a runway in Gibraltar.
But while I’m not about to get carried away with Rangers for beating St Joseph’s 4-0, I’m happy to get myself worked up about the performance of new boy Sheyi Ojo.
The opposition were no great shakes and Steven Gerrard’s side looked a little bit rusty in the first half before starting to find a bit of rhythm after the break.
But Ojo? This kid stood out like a sore thumb from the very first kick of the ball and it looks like my old club have got a real player on their hands.
It’s not about the standard of the team he was up against, it’s about the tools he’s got in his locker and from this first look it seems as if he might have the lot.
He’s powerful, strong, athletic and a great runner with a good work ethic. Technically he’s really impressive and the way he took his goal on Tuesday night was classy and composed.
Listen, it’s important not to put too much expectation on his young shoulders and to remember that he’s up here for a reason. If he was the finished article he’d be in the Liverpool squad by now.
But none of that changes the fact that this is a young boy with enormous potential.
Put it this way, I could see in 90 minutes exactly why Jurgen Klopp wanted Ojo tied up on a five-year contract before he sanctioned the loan move. You don’t do that with young players unless you’re reasonably certain they’re going to be first-team material in a matter of time.
Ojo has huge potential and I believe he’s gone to the perfect place to help him fulfil it because playing for Rangers is all about coping with demands. That’s why Liverpool will be so pleased to let him play up here for a season as this will be a critical part of his development.
Some players flourish under that kind of pressure. Some players take time to get used to it. Some find that they just can’t handle it.
Just look back to this time last summer when Ryan Kent and Ovie Ejaria were sent up the road from the Anfield academy.
Ejaria looked the part but struggled to handle the demands that come with wearing the shirt and performing in front of 50,000 fans every second week.
Kent? He took to Rangers like a duck to water and as a result of his performance level over the seasion he’s now about to fly out with Klopp’s Champions Leaguewinning squad on a summer tour of the USA.
He proved to his manager he is cut out to make the difference in big matches under intense
ROGER FEDERER finally got his revenge over Rafael Nadal 11 years on as the Swiss star survived an instant classic to reach the Wimbledon final.
A rematch of their 2008 title decider had been anticipated more than any match at SW19 and it did not disappoint.
After an epic 7-6 (7-3) 1-6 6-3 6-4 win set-up a showdown with Novak Djokovic, Federer said: “The climax at the end, with a crazy last game, it had everything
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