GARNER IS A PERFECT FIT FOR OLD FIRM
THE greatest goal of Joe Garner’s life came in a semi-final. You can’t miss it if you enter his name into YouTube. A League One play-off against Rotherham United in May 2014 was the setting. Controlling a long ball on his chest with his back to goal, the then Preston striker’s next touch takes him away from a defender before a stunning rightfoot volley careers into the net from 20 yards. Named Goal of the Season by the Football League, it provided evidence of what he can do when the pressure is on. How Rangers would now dearly love a reprise of that inspiration. Renewing hostilities with in-form Celtic in the last four of the League Cup opens up ample vacancies for heroes. At £1.5million, the 28-year-old stands as comfortably the most expensive acquisition of Mark Warburton’s reign. So far, though, Garner’s only goal for the Ibrox club came in that 5-1 battering to Celtic at Parkhead last month. In their last two outings — victories over Partick Thistle and Inverness — he started on the bench. Garner has admitted to frustration about not being able to make a more prolific start to life in Scotland. While the price tag is beyond his control, it brings with it an increased level of scrutiny. As such, Rangers fans will watch his progress closely. But the man who has served as a mentor to Garner harbours no doubts about him eventually flourishing in light blue. Eric Kinder guided the striker through Blackburn’s youth set-up and later took him to Carlisle United. When Rangers came calling, Kinder was one of the first people Garner rang for advice. ‘I told him he had to go,’ said Kinder, now back at Blackburn as Head of Academy. ‘Rangers are an unbelievably massive club with a great tradition. ‘I said to him at the time that he might have a problem in the sense they were bringing so many players in as they made their way back. ‘Rangers had obviously been playing against the likes of Annan Athletic and Stirling Albion over the past few years, but now they are back in the big time with Celtic and Aberdeen. ‘I said it might take time for them to settle down and get a proper squad together. But you don’t turn down the chance to sign for Glasgow Rangers. ‘Joe is 28 now. He will be 29 before the season is done. Is he going to play in the Premier League in England? I don’t think he is. ‘So, if that can’t happen and you get a chance to sign for one of the Glasgow sides at Joe’s age, then you are a fool if you don’t do it. ‘If you look at it honestly, Joe is definitely too good for League One, getting more than 20 goals a season for Preston. ‘I would think once he settles down, Rangers will have both a goal-scorer and a proper target man on their hands.’ Garner’s combative approach has already been evident in the three starts and three substitute appearances he has made for Warburton’s side. Last season, he was shown 12 yellow cards and one red with Preston. A booking against Aberdeen is the sum of his crime count in Scotland. ‘Even at 12 years old he had a lot of aggression in his game,’ Kinder reflected. ‘And he has always been very brave. ‘When you think about the Old Firm derbies, and the ones I have seen on television, the way he plays his game is suited to that environment. ‘He gives as good as he gets. He understands that he will get rough treatment but he can give it back. ‘If you look at his record in senior football, I think he has only been sent off once. So he knows how far to push. ‘Joe gets pumped up for the big games. You knew he would come into his own if things got tough. ‘He is a strong character and never shies away from a challenge. He is definitely someone for the big occasion.’