STEVEN Gerrard handed no fewer than six of his summer signings run-outs as Rangers romped to a comfortable 5-0 victory over Oxford United in their first pre-season friendly at Ibrox this afternoon.
Joe Aribo, George Edmundson, Jake Hastie and Greg Stewart all kicked off the meeting with Karl Robinson’s side while Jordan Jones and Sheyi Ojo both came on for the last half hour.
Elsewhere, Matt Polster, the United States internationalist who joined the Glasgow club back in January, also took his place in the starting line-up for the first time.
And Greg Docherty, who spent last season on loan at Shrewsbury Town, played in the midfield alongside Aribo, Daniel Candeias and Glen Kamara.
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Youngsters Lewis Mayo, who got his name on the scoresheet in the second-half, Joshua McPark and Jamie Barjonas all got game time.
Rangers played their opening Europa League qualifier against St Joseph’s in Gibraltar on Tuesday night and Gerrard was clearly keen not to ask too much of his first team regulars ahead of that important outing.
But the team he selected quickly took control of proceedings with every one of the new recruits giving an indication why Gerrard was keen to secure their services.
Aribo, the 22-year-old who joined from Charlton Athletic last month, was a physical presence in the middle of the park and showed great pace going forward.
Edmundson formed a new central defensive partnership along with Nikola Katic and impressed with his reading of the game and distribution from the back.
Hastie played up front alongside Stewart and drew a cheer from the crowd when he skinned Cameron Brannagan inside the Oxford penalty area in the first-half.
Stewart set up the opening goal with a fine piece of vision in the 16th minute - his through ball sent Candeias in on goal and the Rangers winger duly slotted beyond Simon Eastwood.
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Aribo had a chance to add to the home team’s tally in the 27th minute after good work by Hastie and Stewart down the left. But his shot lacked power and was cleared by Oxford defender Jose Mousinho.
Stewart, though, added a second five minutes later after receiving the ball on the goal line in the Oxford area. He cut inside Mousinho and slotted a left foot shot beyond Eastwood from a tight angle.
Andy Halliday, playing at left-back, forced a fine save from Eastwood after being teed up by Candeias and Katic also struck the crossbar with a long-range attempt from fully 25 yards out before half-time.
Gerrard made five changes at half-time with Wes Foderingham, Connor Goldson, Lewis Mayo, Steven Davis and Joshua McPake coming on for Jak Alnwick, Katic, Edmundson, Kamara and Hastie respectively.
Mayo, the 19-year-old centre-half who was making his first appearance for the first team, made an immediate impact by getting on the end of a Halliday cross in the 53rd minute and forcing a save from Eastwood with a powerful downward header. The defender pounced on the rebound and bundled over the line to put his side 3-0 in front.
The Rangers manager made seven changes in the 61st minute – Aribo, Halliday, Polster, McPake, Candeias, Stewart and Docherty, were replaced by Borna Barisic, James Tavernier, Jamie Barjonas, Ryan Jack, Jones, Ojo and Jermain Defoe
Ojo, the winger who has joined from Liverpool on loan for the season, got his name on the scoresheet in the 70th minute when he pinched the ball off Oxford defender Sam Long and fired into the net off the left upright. Defoe rounded off the rout with a goal from a few yards out with a minute of regulation time remaining.
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