Alex Neil has confessed he wanted to bring Rangers ace Dujon Sterling to Stoke City last summer, but he was tempted by the opportunity to win trophies and play European football at Ibrox. Having spent last season on loan at the Bet365 Stadium, Neil was impressed by his ability in one-on-one situations and how he dealt with the opposition’s most dangerous players.

Neil went as far as claiming the right-back-turned-midfielder is one of the best players to have played under him defensively and has got everything you’d want.

Speaking to the Daily Record [26 March], Neil shared: “We wanted to sign him ourselves. We tried before he went to Rangers but the lure of European football and the opportunity to win prizes was a lot for him.

“I took him to Stoke last year ad he was excellent for us. Physically he’s top-notch and defensively too he’s probably one of the best I’ve had. He’s got all the aspects you’d want.

“If we had a player in the opposition team who we felt would cause us a problem, Dujon dealt with him. That’s how we felt about him. He could just nullify threats because you can’t get away from him.

“He was excellent. One v one against any opponent last year, he came out on the right side of it.”

Alex Neil gushes over Rangers ace Dujon Sterling

It was a slow start to his career at Ibrox after arriving under Michael Beale amid a host of uninspiring new arrivals, and Sterling was, perhaps unfairly, lumped in with that crowd. However, since Beale’s exit, he has stepped up.

Derek Ferguson recently told Ibrox News that he would like to see the 24-year-old feature more often, as he has become frustrated at the lack of regular game time, largely being used as a stopgap for injured stars.

Sterling has played much more of a prominent role since the arrival of Philippe Clement, with his versatility proving key amid an injury crisis at Ibrox, playing several roles in the team including filling in at centre-mid and on the right wing.

This has also allowed him to have more of an impact on the first-team squad, with captain James Tavernier the favourite for Sterling’s usual right-back spot, making it difficult for him to play in his preferred role. Despite that, he has been highly praised for his displays, and Rangers can consider his signing a successful one so far, especially as he arrived for free.

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