Defoe and Davis to bring the fans out
The extent of the Jermain Defoe effect should become clearer at Ibrox today when Rangers play host to HJK Helsinki.
Arranged as part of the deal which brought Alfredo Morelos to the Govan club, the friendly against the Finns has been given extra spice through the recruitment of Steven Gerrard’s former England t e a m - m a t e, De f o e, and returning favourite Steven Davis.
The Light Blues boss said both men will feature at some point, with pay- atthe-gate available for the noon kick-off.
Wit h Ran g e r s fans denied the opportunity to see football on Friday night because of the postponement of the Scottish Cup tie at Cowdenbeath, the crowd is likely to be significantly higher than might other wise have been expected.
And while Rangers don’t stand to reap a financial reward from today’s action – the friendly is essentially part of the settlement to Morelos’s former employer – the directors will nevertheless be cheered by a demonstration of the revenue-generating power of Defoe and Davis.
The two have been picked up on loan deals, the striker from Bournemouth and the midfielder from Southampton.
But on the players’ wages, they represent a calculated gamble aimed at wrestling the Premiership title away from rivals Celtic.
Defoe, in particular, is a marquee signing – and as such comes at a price.
It is understood the 36-year-old earns £ 90,000 a week from his English employers, and that for the duration of his time in Scotland, Rangers are picking up the tab for £35,000 of that total.
As much as that’s quite a bit less than the £65,000 figure for their contribution which has been quoted from English sources this weekend, it still adds up to more than half- a- million pounds between now and the end of the season.
For the Ibrox club’s punt to pay off, the striker will need to score big goals of the type which help deliver silverware. With Gerrard having already demonstrated his ability to deliver a victory over Celtic with the Old Firm derby win just before the start of the winter break, fans will believe that is no pipe dream.