‘Rangers Fans Won’t Want To Hear That’ – Former Gers Star Gives View On Defender | OneFootball

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Cammy Bell has admitted that Rangers fans will not want to hear him say that Olwethu Makhanya will not be at Ibrox for long if he does well, but feels that is very much the case due to how the South African has been performing.

To keep the depth of their defence intact following the departure of Nasser Djiga, the Glasgow giants invested in Philadelphia Union’s young defender Makhanya, turning to him after missing out on Sankhoun Diawara to AC Milan.

Rangers struck a deal with the MLS club for Makhanya and he arrived at Ibrox very much as an unknown quanity.

Makhanya has settled in quickly, forming a partnership in the heart of defence with Emmanuel Fernandez.

Fernandez has admitted that the quality Makhanya has shown has surprised him, as he did not expect the South African to be so good.

Former Rangers goalkeeper Bell is also impressed by what he has seen from Makhanya and feels he is showing everything that a top centre-back needs.

Continued progress from Makhanya will lead to a speedy Ibrox exit though, in Bell’s view, even though he knows Gers fans will not want to hear that.

“For me, he has been phenomenal since he came in”, Bell told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (13.43).

“He has got everything to be a top-top centre-half. He is big, he is physical, he is strong, he is fast, he is good on the ball.

“A centre-half that you almost just envisage, you want in your team.

“If he keeps going the way he is going, I don’t think he will be at Rangers for long.

“Rangers fans won’t want to hear that, but ultimately, that is what happens in Scottish football.

“When you get these guys, they fit the profile of a top English side, they will come and cherry-pick him away.”

However, Bell also highlighted the fact that for the player to earn a big move, he will first need to be successful for Rangers, and that will be beneficial for Derek McInnes and his side.

“The beauty of it for Rangers fans is that he needs to be successful at Rangers for somebody to come and take him.

“There is a long way ahead of him, but he has started the season so well.

“Just look at his profile as a centre-back and you know that he has got absolutely everything.”

Comparisons were also drawn by the former Scotland goalkeeper between Makhanya and Liverpool great Virgil van Dijk, who caught the attention with his performances in a Celtic shirt between 2013 and 2015.

“He is like a Rolls Royce, watching him at the back”, Bell added.

“Again, probably the last one I watched and it is very early saying this, Virgil van Dijk was the type of player that you know was so confident on the ball, physically strong and got that presence on the pitch.

“And he is ticking all those boxes early on.”

Makhanya has already notched up eleven appearances in Rangers shirt this season and has helped his team beat bitter rivals Celtic in back-to-back matches, keeping clean sheets in each of them.

McInnes and Gers fans will be looking for the defender to kick on when club action returns following the international break.