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This exclusive interview with Jermain Defoe is in conjunction with On The Ball, available to download on Apple and Google Play now!

Very few players split opinion between Tottenham and West Ham fans like Jermain Defoe does.

For the former, he is a goalscoring hero having scored almost 150 goals across two very successful spells in North London. For the latter, he’s a player who is perceived to have betrayed his roots by trying to leave at a time when the Hammers needed him most.

But regardless of all that, the striker has enjoyed a hugely successful career, in which he has scored for every club he’s played for and is currently on a mission to help Rangers win their first SPL title since 2011.

For young football fans, he’s a role model both on and off the pitch. If his goalscoring exploits for both club and country weren’t inspirational enough, his charitable work away from the pitch certainly is.

On the pitch, it’s no secret that making it in football is the dream of millions of kids around the world and it’s even less of a secret that it’s one of the most difficult industries to be successful in.

To make it, you need dedication, sacrifice, hard work and perseverance, and even then it still might not enough to earn a pro-contract. However, there is a new app that is designed to help footballers of all ages to gain an edge both on and off the pitch.

On The Ball is the world’s best football training platform and offers users of all ages and abilities access to tailored training programs created by Premier League players, to help teach real skills and training techniques. With over 1,000 training videos demonstrated by some of the biggest names in the game, users literally have everything they need in one place in order to improve their fitness, skills and technique whenever they need it.

Jermain Defoe is a huge supporter of the On The Ball App and he spoke exclusively to Football FanCast to talk us through what he loves most about the platform and, of course, some of the biggest talking points of his career to date.

What do you love about the On The Ball App?

“If I was a kid now I would be excited about the app. There’s like a thousand drills on there, so to be able to download something to my phone and be able to use it to develop my skills would have been so useful. The people behind it are players who have played at the highest level, they’ve played in the Premier League and for their countries.

“I would have been all over it. Drills on dribbling, passing, fitness, it’s an unbelievable idea, to be honest! Kids, even coaches, of all ages and abilities will definitely benefit from it for sure.”

Where did your hunger and commitment to make it come from when you were growing up?

“Football has always been a real passion of mine, even from a very young age. It came from my family as well, though. I always knew the importance of working hard growing up, my Mum used to always drill into me that if I was ever going to achieve anything then I had to work hard to get it.

“Growing up, my Nan and Grandad came over from the Caribbean and worked really hard. My grandad worked in the meat factory and my Nan worked in the sugar factory. My mum was a single parent before my sister came along. So everything I saw around me was people grafting.

“I used to always tell my Mum that I wanted to be a professional footballer. Ever since I could walk and talk, I wanted to play football. My Mum supported me with that but always told me that I had to work hard, that I had to always work harder than the person next to me. That’s the sort of mentality I had growing up.”

Despite that commitment, fighting the temptation to take your foot off the gas and do what your mates were doing must’ve been difficult…

“Yeah, of course. When you’re young, sometimes parents say things that you don’t fully understand and obviously there were times I just wanted to go out with my mates.

“We lived on an estate and from my bedroom window, I could see my friends at night just chilling with girls, drinking and stuff like that. Even if I didn’t want to get involved in all that stuff, I just wanted to be out there having a bit of banter.

“But to be fair, I always listened and I thought, at the end of the day, if I want to fulfill all my dreams and goals, I’m just going to listen to my Mum and see where it takes me.”

At West Ham, things didn’t end in the way that you would’ve wanted and you ended up leaving on a sour note. What happened there?

“When I signed for West Ham, there was a lot of pressure at the time because they had to pay Charlton something like £1.6million because apparently they’d made an illegal approach for me. I was only 16-years-old, so there was a lot of pressure there.

“I made my debut at 17, scored in the cup, and everything started going so well. I loved it at West Ham and a lot of my family were West Ham fans.

“So everything was going so well and we all know what the fans are like with young players coming through, they love you.

“But then my agent at the time advised me to hand in a transfer request. I was naive and never had to deal with anything like that before. I was young and didn’t really know about transfer requests.

“The backlash was just crazy! I obviously stayed until January before Tottenham came in for me and then I was thinking, ‘Tottenham are a massive football club,’ and I wanted to go.”

You picked up three red cards in quick succession before that January move which, knowing how your career has gone, was very out of character. Was that out of frustration that you weren’t sold in the summer?

“Obviously you look at that and think it’s so out of character. Looking from a West Ham fans’ point of view, I understand why they might think I was doing it on purpose but if you really knew me, you’d know all I want to do is score goals and play every game, so why would I want to miss football matches?

“At the time I felt like I was a target for players I played against and the referees. That’s how I felt. People were trying to wind me up and referees weren’t really protecting me because I was in the spotlight after what had happened with the transfer request.

“So I had so much anger and I was so frustrated with the whole transfer request situation. I didn’t really know what was going on.”

Rumour has it that you nearly returned to West Ham years later?

“Yeah, I nearly went back to West Ham. I spoke to Mark Noble on the phone and he explained that the club wanted me back, that they needed someone to score goals, but at the time I said I wasn’t going to leave Sunderland because they had done a lot for me and I had a special relationship with the fans, but I didn’t rule it out for the future.

“Obviously it didn’t happen but the West Ham fans, despite all the stick they used to give me when I was at Spurs, were buzzing. Some of the positive messages I was getting on social media made me think that despite all that stick they gave me, they would’ve welcomed me back.”

After four years at Spurs you left for Portsmouth. How did that come about?

“It was a hard decision for me to make. I loved it at Spurs. But we had a change of manager, Juande Ramos came in. He had different ideas.

“One day in training he said something to me, I said something back, and then he told me that if I wasn’t happy I could leave. Even the players couldn’t believe he’d said it to me.

“So I phoned my agent and told him what the manager said. Ramos spoke to Daniel Levy about it and the chairman was like: ‘Are you joking? That is not happening!’

“The next game I was given the armband to be captain! It was strange.

“So it was a footballing decision in the end. I spoke to Harry Redknapp, who was at Portsmouth at the time, and he just said: “JD, come and play for me.” I love Harry, everyone knows I love Harry, and he never used to complicate things. All he said to me was ‘focus on scoring goals, that’s it.’

“At the time Pompey had an unbelievable team. Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin, David James, Sulley Muntari, Milan Baros, Niko Kranjcar, Hermann Hreidarsson. The team was unbelievable, so I was happy I was going to them.

“Redknapp was the manager, they call him my Dad in football, so it was perfect for me. But it was so hard to leave Tottenham. I just felt like I had no choice. I just couldn’t play for Juande Ramos.”

You soon returned to Tottenham after a short spell at Portsmouth, but there was also an offer from Juventus on the table…

“When Redknapp left Portsmouth for Tottenham I was just sitting there waiting for the phone to ring. Eventually, he called me and told me he wanted to bring me back.

“I was waiting for days for a deal to happen but during that time I had a phone call from a different agent who had a close relationship with Italian clubs, and he told me that if the Tottenham deal doesn’t get done ASAP then he was going to take me to Juventus because they wanted me.

“I had no problem with that because Juventus is a massive football club, a giant, but deep down I just wanted to go back to Tottenham. I felt like I had unfinished business there.

“I felt the love there, not just from the fans but from the people working at the club. The people that worked in the canteen, the laundry girls, I had a close relationship with everyone at Tottenham and I didn’t want to leave in the first place.

“To get the opportunity to go back was my number one priority but if it didn’t happen then obviously Juventus were waiting.”

And then a move to the MLS followed. How did that come about and why did you only last 11 months before coming back?

“When Toronto first came in for me there was no way I wanted it to happen. I had just signed a new contract with Tottenham and at the time I just thought I was going to end my career there.

“But then I spoke to Tim Leiweke, who was responsible for bringing David Beckham to LA Galaxy, and then spoke to Daniel Levy about it.

“If it was another Premier League club interested in me then Levy wouldn’t have let me go but he said that as it was an unbelievable opportunity for me and my family, he wouldn’t stand in my way if I wanted to see if I could get a deal done.

“When I was there I could get Premier League games on the TV at home and I used to sit there and miss the Premier League, naturally. Harry called me again and told me QPR wanted to sign me and stuff like that.

“But then I had a hernia and needed to travel back to London to see a specialist. After that, I was doing some rehab in the south of France when I got a text from Gus Poyet, who was Sunderland manager at the time. He told me he wanted to sign me and build a team around me.

“Obviously I knew Gus, I played with him at Tottenham, and it was an opportunity for me to come back to the Premier League and score goals.

“But even then it was difficult because Toronto weren’t having it, they didn’t want me to go. I didn’t want to let them down because they had worked so hard to bet me there, but I just wanted to be back in the best league in the world.”

Throughout your career you’ve played in some top derbies – where does the Old Firm rank?

“It’s the best. It’s unbelievable. I appreciate all the derbies I’ve played in but when I spoke to Graeme Souness before I signed for Rangers, he told me it’s the best football match in the world.

“But you have to experience what it’s like, it’s a special game. When we beat them 2-0 at home, the atmosphere was incredible. I was looking around, almost in a trance, looking at the crowd bouncing, it gave me goosebumps. It really was amazing.”

Do you think Rangers have what it takes to win the SPL title again within the next couple of years?

“I said it when I signed, I believe it’s only a matter of time before it happens. Celtic fans give me a bit of banter about it on social media but I do genuinely believe it’s only a matter of time.

“For one, Rangers fans are special. They travel everywhere. And then when I look at the coaching staff, the manager and his presence, and the whole team, the club has everything it needs to be successful. Everything, even down to the food we’re eating at the training ground.

“The squad is so strong. We do 11v11 in training and we all wonder afterward what team the manager is going to pick at the weekend because he can literally pick two different teams. Having that keeps everyone on their toes, which is good.

“If we win the league again that’s 55 titles. It’ll be a special one and to be a part of something like that would be mad.”

It would also stop Celtic winning 10 titles in a row…

“I’m not even focused on that. I’m just focused on being a part of Rangers history. When you walk down the tunnel and on to the pitch at Ibrox you can see the names of great players on a board and I say to the players, if we can be on that board one day then we’ve done something special.

“When you’re on that board you know that even after you leave, you’re always welcome back. So to see my name on that board one day would be unbelievable.”

What’s Steven Gerrard like as a manager?

“He’s amazing. It cannot be easy going from being a player to a manager. It’s not easy!

“Imagine trying to keep 25 players happy. You pick your best XI but then you’ve got to keep the others happy at all times as well. It’s literally impossible.

“The way he is honest with the players, he always tells us that if we’ve got a problem then his office door is open. The way he handles the press is amazing because it is not easy up there.

“And the team he’s got around him. We’ve got an identity and we know how we want to play and that’s something that’s been worked on in pre-season. Everyone knows their roles and responsibilities.

“And even now, with the current situation, we’ve got something where we can go and look at the sessions that we’ve had during training or with tactical sessions, just so it all stays fresh in our minds.

“We’ve got everything under Steven Gerrard at Rangers to be successful and when it happens, it’ll be a dream come true.”

You’ve recently signed a one-year contract extension at Rangers – what happens after that? Is retirement an option yet?

“I got a message from a Rangers fan today saying, ‘you better play until you’re 40!’

“I still feel sharp and fit. People ask me how I do it, even players from my generation ask me how I’m still fit and playing at the top level. I don’t ever miss a training session. I train every single day. I look after myself as well as I can.

“I’m doing my coaching badges at the moment because, at the back end of your career, you’ll always think about what you want to do next, whether it’s becoming a coach or a manager.”

Does management appeal to you?

“I don’t know yet. I’m just going to do my badges and then see what happens. At the end of the day, if you love football and you’ve got an opportunity to stay in the game and give something back then why not?”

To be a better player or coach, improve your fitness and develop your ball skills with On The Ball, download the App on Apple and Google Play now!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Sunderland chief executive Charlie Methven has stepped down from his role at the club, a position he has held since he was part of Stewart Donald’s takeover of the club back in summer 2018.

It is believed he was keen to resign a couple of months ago but was persuaded to stay a little while longer by Donald, until they secured the investment from the American consortium and a replacement had been lined up.

It’s perhaps a little difficult to assess his time at the club, as although he brought back a feel-good factor after years of uninspiring decisions and results, he has ultimately left at a time where the Black Cats are arguably in the worst position they’ve ever been in.

Fellow stakeholder Juan Sartori will take over responsibilities of running the club day-to-day, which seems to be a bit of a strange choice by Donald, as although he has a stake in the club he lacks the experience and perhaps the know-how.

It is not like Donald has much experience of managing a big side, too, though this should still be treated as a new chapter and one which Sunderland can benefit from.

Sartori can breathe some much-needed fresh life into things and hopefully make changes, particularly in the area of recruitment, which has been poor in recent months.

Addressing the issue of a need for a Director of Football would be a great start, and supporting Phil Parkinson in whatever method possible has to be high on his agenda.

Giving him the best tools to work with is vital if the Black Cats are going to get back to the Championship, and though he hasn’t started well he deserves to be entrusted with money to spend.

Establishing trust and a connection with the fans is also critical. Methven lost that touch recently, as did his predecessor Martin Bain, and it is unsurprising that things went sour on the pitch for both as a result.

Another change in the hierarchy which could help is to bring in a Director of Football. It would give the responsibility of controlling football matters to a footballing man, and Sunderland would likely benefit as a result.

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after they heard that Jordan Ayew had scored the winning goal for Ghana in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sao Tome.

Ayew netted the only goal of the game to ensure that Ghana went above South Africa into first place in group C of the qualifying stage, and the former Swansea man’s strike is just the latest in a string of goals scored by the 28-year-old this season.

The Eagles No.9 has scored four Premier League goals in 12 games this term, netting against Manchester United and Arsenal, as well as the winning goal against his former side Aston Villa and a late winner away to West Ham.

As a result of his fine form, he has become somewhat of a fan favourite at Selhurst Park since his £2.5m summer move, hence the vast array of reaction to his winning goal for Ghana.

One supporter said that the Ghanaian is “at it again”, whereas another made the bold statement that Ayew is ‘currently the world’s best player’.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction…

Tottenham Hotspur fans were delighted to see Ryan Sessegnon make his Champions League debut on Wednesday evening.

Spurs beat Red Star Belgrade 4-0 in Serbia in a thoroughly professional performance that ensures they will qualify for the knockout stages if they manage to beat Olympiacos on matchday five.

That will come as a blessed relief for manager Mauricio Pochettino, as it takes the stakes away from their last encounter in the group, against Bayern Munich, who beat them 7-2 in London.

So comfortable was the performance, Pochettino introduced Sessegnon with around 15 minutes of the game to go, replacing Son Heung-Min, who had scored a brace.

The summer signing from Fulham made his presence felt, too, as he provided the assist for Christian Eriksen’s late goal that put the cherry on top of the cake for Spurs.

And supporters were thrilled that the £25m man got a proper run-out, having made his first official appearance for the club in injury-time against Everton at the weekend.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Juventus scraped a win at home to Lokomotiv Moscow in the Champions League but they wouldn’t have been able to do so without the valuable contribution of Paulo Dybala.

The Argentine scored twice in three minutes late on to secure all three points for the Italian outfit, proving why he is highly sought after.

Spurs were interested in the playmaker over the summer and are still reportedly monitoring him, despite complications arising over his image rights which prevented a deal from being completed before the previous transfer window slammed shut in August.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Dybala now has three goals and two assists in nine games this season and is still clearly an important player in Maurizio Sarri’s side, as without him they may have fallen to a shock defeat on Tuesday.

Many Juventus fans are loving the contribution he made and hope he stays at the club amid speculation that Sarri wanted to sell him, with his first strike particularly earning accolades from the fan base.

Here are some of the reactions from Juventus supporters to Dybala turning around his team’s fortunes.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Garry Monk’s reign as Sheffield Wednesday boss has got off to a pretty decent start as the Championship takes a break for the second group of international matches in the 2019/20 calendar.

The 40-year-old has steered his side to ten points from a possible 15, which sees them sit one point outside of a playoff position.

As highlighted here, Monk has acted shrewdly with a methodical approach to things, considering he’s inherited this whole squad from former manager Steve Bruce and caretaker boss Lee Bullen.

The Owls’ chief has started by shoring up their defence, and now he should be able to move onto his attack.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It’s a part of the pitch that will be bolstered by the return of Fernando Forestieri this weekend as Steven Fletcher may finally be able to receive a regular and more solid partner up top.

However, they still lack proper depth out wide as they only have three wingers for two positions, with Kadeem Harris and Adam Reach often being preferred over Jacob Murphy with the pair both starting ten or more games this season.

This sort of hierarchy often allows complacency to creep in, and with the January transfer window still a while away, it may be wise for Monk to call up a promising youngster from the academy to help stop that from occurring.

He has the perfect player in wait too in Fraser Preston, who has had a taste of first-team football in the past.

The 20-year-old has made three appearances for them in the Championship, all of which came last season, per Transfermarkt.

Monk is known for bringing through youngsters at a club – he had a part in Jude Bellingham’s rise at Birmingham while Lewis Wing was brought into the fray while he was in charge of Middlesbrough.

Preston’s attacking threat can be most displayed by this corker of a goal he scored back in 2018 for the U23s.

Wednesday’s website describes him as a ‘pacey winger’ so that gives an indication of the type of direct player Monk would have on his hands.

It may be a good idea to bring him into the senior setup, particularly as there have been doubts over Newcastle United loanee Murphy and with Reach being very much a marmite figure at Hillsborough.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Carlos Corberan has a plethora of options available to him at U23 level.

Before last week, Leeds’ young stars had gone unbeaten and even beat Watford 6-0 while including players like Luke Ayling and Eddie Nketiah in the starting XI.

Previously at FFC we’ve analysed how this policy could have a negative impact on those coming through at academy level, but those who could be hindered most come in an attacking area.

Leeds only have two out-and-out strikes in their first team but Marcelo Bielsa’s favouritism of Patrick Bamford has meant Nketiah has also been reduced to chances in the academy.

Not only has this seen Ryan Edmondson struggle for opportunities after scoring a hat-trick in pre-season, but it’s also limited Kun Temenuzhkov, who could now be facing an uphill battle to make an impact.

The Bulgarian is a player with enormous promise, so much in fact that he was once in the famous La Masia academy at Barcelona.

You don’t grow up coming through the ranks in Catalonia without an abundance of talent. After all, it’s an academy that’s developed the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

Temenuzhkov isn’t close to possessing the same level of quality as those types of players but he does have great ability, something that was detailed when he was named as one of The Guardian’s 60 best young players in football for 2017.

A profile was given which compared him to the teenager’s idol and one of the current crop at Barcelona: “Temenuzhkov is deservedly regarded as one of Bulgaria’s hottest football prospects. Growing up idolising Luis Suarez, the pint-sized prospect has shown the same predator’s instinct in the penalty area as the Uruguay striker.”

That was fine praise indeed for the 18-year-old who has only featured on one occasion for the Leeds senior team after making the move from Spain.

Eligible to play for the Iberian country and Bulgaria, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that he’ll ever get a chance to stamp down his authority.

Not only does he have Bamford and Nketiah to get past but the striking options within the U23s is hotly contested.

Temenuzhkov is battling Edmondson and new signing Liam McCarron which has seen him reduced to substitute appearances more than anything else.

Having recently been rewarded with a new contract Leeds clearly rate the prospect highly but they must now prove there is a route to the first team.

This deal is a huge display of faith but his lack of opportunities so far this term isn’t too promising.

After scoring 30 goals in as many games for Barcelona’s Juvenil B team once upon a time, it seems foolish not to try and unearth more of his talents.

So far, it’s proving an uphill battle for the youngster and it’s unlikely to get any easier in the immediate future.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…

Things have gone pretty well for Nottingham Forest so far this season.

On Friday evening, their win over Stoke City saw them take a temporary stand at the top of the Championship table having only lost one game this season, and that came on the opening weekend.

But some tough tests lay ahead due to the injuries picked up throughout September.

In that Stoke game, captain Michael Dawson was withdrawn early, meaning he is set to be out for the next couple of matches barring any major update on the medical front.

Watch Nottingham Forest Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

While Carl Jenkinson’s absence has forced Matty Cash back into the right-back role to deputise just like he did before the arrival of the former Arsenal man.

To be fair to the 22-year-old, he’s done a fantastic job there as he has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.36 in that position and has also picked up a goal and two assists.

But after all, his natural position is in attack. Consequently, he can be lacking defensively sometimes as his 1.1 tackles per game suggests – Jenkinson averaged 1.7 per match when he was fit.

Therefore, it would make sense to utilise the other defenders at Sabri Lamouchi’s disposal, and their academy has produced many a fine player over the years – none more so than the aforementioned skipper along with his defensive partner Joe Worrall.

Alex Mighten and Brennan Johnson have been given a taste of the first-team this season, though, both are attacking players and right now, the cause for concern is in defence.

So maybe it is time to give right-back Jordan Gabriel a go.

Former caretaker boss and academy manager Gary Brazil called the 21-year-old an ‘exceptional talent’ with the official Forest website also describing him as a ‘fast and tricky’ full-back.

He was first brought through the ranks around three years ago, but a serious injury hampered his chance of fully taking that opportunity.

Gabriel was introduced against Arsenal last week with 15 minutes left, and despite being four goals down, the 21-year-old displayed an impressive work ethic which left the team only conceding one more goal.

The youngster also recorded a 100% passing success rate and one tackle, per WhoScored.

Back in 2016, then U21 coach Jimmy Gilligan praised Gabriel, he said: “He has a great physique for a full back and is a very receptive learner. He has all the attributes to do well.”

Lamouchi has hinted that he may need to call upon the academy in light of this week due to the lack of options at his disposal.

With so many injuries to defenders, the electric right-back could well be one of those in line for an opportunity.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.

Laurens De Bock has had to wait an incredibly long time for a taste of English football again.

The last time the Belgian played in a competitive match in this country was on 10th March 2018 before being sent out on loan to KV Oostende last term.

De Bock is somewhat of an enigma, being poached from Club Brugge as someone who had played European football, he’s now languishing down in League One at Sunderland.

The 26-year-old was rarely afforded a chance at Elland Road and has played just seven times for the Whites.

His career in England has never taken off but he’s been given a chance of rejuvenating himself in the northeast.

He finally made his debut for the Black Cats on Wednesday evening as he overcame a period where he hadn’t even been included in the squad.

Starting against Premier League opposition Sheffield United, he put in a largely indifferent display in what was his first appearance of the term.

De Bock started the game at left-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation and had Kieron Freeman and Callum Robinson to contend with down the left.

He played all 90 minutes and displayed strong defensive characteristics as he made two interceptions and two tackles, via SofaScore.

But there was also some concerning aspects to his play, attributes that might be understandable considering he hasn’t played at all until now in 2019/20.

That fell in terms of the ten times he lost possession while his pass accuracy was also alarming at 69%.

Given Leeds have a variety of options at left-back, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to force himself back into contention.

He hasn’t played under Marcelo Bielsa and he already has Gjanni Alioski and Barry Douglas at his disposal in the same part of the pitch.

Leif Davis is another option but a potential new signing in Sam McCallum, who Leeds are reportedly tracking, could be the final nail in the coffin for De Bock.

There is, of course, a long way to go in the season but his inability to retain possession shows why he isn’t up to the standard at Leeds.

He must do more at Sunderland to prove he deserves a second chance in west Yorkshire.

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Rangers’ mini injury crisis on the wings has led to manager Steven Gerrard hinting that there may be a return to first team action for Jamie Murphy earlier than expected, as reported by the club’s official website.

The 30-year-old is only just returning to something resembling full fitness following his unfortunate anterior cruciate ligament knee injury at the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign. He had only just been signed on a permanent deal in the subsequent summer after a successful loan spell.

Murphy was one of few highlights in the tumultuous 2017/18 season, arriving on loan in January and providing 5 goals and 10 assists in just 23 games. The born-and-bred Blue Nose settled immediately, only to be struck down by a season-ending injury on the infamous plastic pitch at Kilmarnock.

Self-inflicted injury to Jordan Jones and a niggling hamstring strain for Ryan Kent has left Gerrard with limited options in the wide areas for the coming weeks. With the games coming thick and fast now, Gerrard accelerating Murphy’s return has been warmly welcomed by Rangers fans.

Here’s a look at how they reacted to the news…