Sakala signs with Defoe set for deal

Rangers have opened discussions with Jermain Defoe regarding an extension to his contract.

The 38-year-old scored his sixth goal of the campaign in the 4-1 victory over Celtic on Sunday as Rangers secured a fourth Old Firm win this term and moved to within two fixtures – away to Livingston and at home to Aberdeen – of an unbeaten Premiership season.

The Englishman is out of contract at the end of the season and will have a decision to make over whether he remains in Glasgow and continues working with his former international team-mate at Ibrox.

Gerrard said: “It goes without saying that Jermain Defoe is someone I have the ultimate respect and admiration for. He’s been a wonderful player. He’s had a wonderful career.

“To get him up here in the first place was something I was keen to do, because I knew he would help the group in the way he goes about his business. He’s a top professional.

“We’re in talks with Jermain at the moment about what’s next for Jermain. But we want to be really respectful.

“I think he’s at a stage in his life where we’ll listen to Jermain and see what he wants to do moving forward.

“We’ll go from there. I don’t think it’s right for me to divulge right now what’s been said from my point of view and from his.”

“But we’ll certainly respect Jermain in terms of his own decisions moving forward.”

Meanwhile, Gerrard has revealed Rangers are in discussions regarding a return to Northern Ireland as he continues to plan for the future at Ibrox.

The manager was asked at an event to promote Team Talk yesterday about England’s famous defeat to Northern Ireland in 2005 as David Healy scored the only goal of the game to defeat Sven-Goran Eriksson’s star-studded Three Lions at Windsor Park.

Ibrox midfielder Steven Davis was a key man that night and he could soon return to his homeland with Rangers as Gerrard looks to take his squad back to Northern Ireland in the future.

Gerrard said: “He wouldn’t dare give me stick when he’s trying to get into my team! Listen, it was certainly a low point from my point of view, we lost the game 1-0 and I was awful on the night.

“I didn’t play well at all. Davo did OK, I will give him that! We won’t give him too much praise!

“The atmosphere was fantastic, it was electric like it always is. Every time I have been over to Northern Ireland from a personal point of view when I am representing England, I always get a fantastic welcome.

“I am really looking forward to coming back over once life is back to normality and it would be great if we could get the team over there at some point. It is something that we are discussing at the moment.”