STEVEN GERRARD expressed his delight at securing the services of former England team-mate Jermain Defoe and Southampton midfielder Steven Davis on loan deal to Rangers.
Defoe’s move to Ibrox was confirmed on Sunday afternoon and he will join up with the Light Blues for the first time at their training base in Tenerife today.
The 36-year-old has a sterling track record in the Premier League and will now look to fire Rangers to the Premiership title and Scottish Cup success this season.
Gerrard said: “I’m delighted to be able to welcome Jermain to Rangers. He is an exceptionally talented striker and vastly experienced footballer who has scored goals at every club he has played for.
“He will be a great addition to our dressing room and we look forward to integrating him into the squad whilst we work in Tenerife over the next week.”
Having secured the former England striker, attention turned to getting Davis over the line as Gerrard prepares to put his players through their paces during their six-day stint in Spain. The Northern Ireland midfielder has agreed to return to Ibrox seven years after he made the move to St Mary’s and has agreed an initial six-month loan switch ahead of a longer-term deal in the summer.
Gerrard said: “Steven is yet another fantastic addition to our squad, we are delighted to welcome him back to the club. He is vastly experienced at both club and international level and knows the club, the fans and the demands that come with wearing the Rangers jersey very well.
“He has previously captained the club and been captain for his country and Southampton, so we welcome yet another leader into our dressing room.”
For his part Davis issued a message to Southampton fans on social media saying: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for making my time at the club so special,. There have been ups and downs, but since the day I arrived I have given my all to play my part in pushing this club forward.
“It has been an honour to captain the club and lead the team out in a cup final at Wembley, achieve four successive top-eight finishes and be part of the club playing back in Europe. The last couple of years have been more have been more challenging, but I believe the management and quality of within the dressing room can bring success back.
“There are too many people to thank individually, but to you the fans I must say thank you for your wonderful support. I will always treasure it. I have been lucky to work under some fantastic managers and share the pitch with a host of top players during my time with the club, and I have met incredible people who will be life-long friends. “Southampton Football Club has taught me a lot that I will take into the rest of my career and life. I look forward to the new challenges ahead and wish everyone associated with the club success in the future.”
After seeing off Celtic in the second Old Firm game of the campaign at Ibrox, Rangers have wasted little time in adding to the feelgood factor among supporters this month.
Kilmarnock winger Jordan Jones and Dundee midfielder Glen Kamara penned pre-contract agreements at Ibrox over the weekend and will join Rangers at the end of the campaign after committing their futures for the next four years.
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