THE more that Steven Gerrard sees of Sheyi Ojo, the less he doubts that the midfielder has what it takes to make his mark on Scottish football. And while it may be something of an indictment on our game, the way he stood up to the kicking he received from Progres Niederkorn on Thursday night was another hugely encouraging sign for the Rangers manager.
The Luxembourgian players adopted a rather primitive approach to stifling the threat of the on-loan Liverpool man, but if anything, the 22-year-old’s influence on the game only grew the more he was kicked by his opponents.
Gerrard believes that resilience will be crucial if he is to not only cope with the rigours of the Scottish game, but if he is to fulfil his ambitions to make it at the top level, citing the examples of elite players who overcome similar treatment on a weekly basis.
“If you are a good player and that type of player you have got to enjoy getting kicked,” Gerrard said.
“I’ve watched Lionel Messi for 12 years and he gets kicked from pillar to post. (Cristiano) Ronaldo is the same. If you want to be a top player you have to gets used to being kicked.
“The two big positives from midweek were (Joe) Aribo - who's hit the ground running and took to this like a duck to water, he's been superb - and Ojo. After starting very positively, he was unplayable for the last 20 minutes in Luxembourg.
“They kicked him all night and he got no protection. But he never complained, he bounced back up after tackles.
“I predict a really positive year for Ojo if he wants it and is hungry for it. Because when he is in full flow it’s a great sight. He is so powerful and quick, he is direct, and on Thursday we saw him produce quality to put the ball across goal. He will assist goals and he has already shown he is a goal threat.
“When you look at Ojo and evaluate him it’s very difficult to see what will hold him back. The only thing that can hold him back himself.”
The natural prism to view Ojo in at Rangers is as a replacement for the creativity of Ryan Kent, given that both have come north from Anfield. But Gerrard says that not only are they very different players, but that it isn’t up to Ojo to help the Rangers supporters forget about Kent, who he has all-but given up on bringing back to Ibrox.
“I don’t think it’s Ojo’s responsibility to do that,” Gerrard said. “He has to focus on himself. He has to make the loan experience for himself positive. I’m sure he wants to go away from this with trophies and memories and experiences.
“I don’t think it’s fair on the kid to be compared to Ryan Kent. Ryan is his own man, he had a very successful year, but he is a Liverpool player, he has three years left there and we respect that.
“It is what it is, and we need to move on.”
In saying that, Gerrard was prepared to draw a comparison between the personalities of Kent and Ojo, believing that the self-confidence the latter player possesses has allowed him to make a smoother transition to life at Rangers.
“I think he has started quicker,” he said. “I think Ryan was quite shy when he came in.
“He had a lot of anxiety and in the beginning, he was wondering whether it was the right move for him.
“He had a lot of options, but I think the dressing-room and staff really helped him settle and put a lot of confidence into him.
“I don’t think he turned up confident. We had to build on that and it maybe took six to eight weeks until he really felt like a Rangers player. Whereas Sheyi has bowled in with his shoulders back and said ‘yeah, this is a bit of me, I’m loving the club and the supporters, I fancy it’ and he has started very hungry.
“They are two different personalities. One oozes confidence in a good way, and the other builds and thrives on it, but has to work for it.
“They are two different players but when they are in full flow they are two top players.
“For a young player, [Ojo] has plenty of experience. He has played abroad, he has played in the Premier league and the Championship. He has all the attributes, he is a great kid and he works hard.
“The players have really taken to him, he oozes confidence in a nice way and they enjoy having him here.
“He is a massive threat for us and it’s important that we keep him fresh and healthy and try to offload him at the right times so that he can perform as he did on Thursday.
“Because when he gets into that fourth or fifth gear he will be difficult to stop.”
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