Rob Has Great Attributes

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Thursday, 25 June 2015 08:59

Rob Has Great Attributes

Written by Neil Smith

 

 

ROB KIERNAN is only be 24-years-old but Davie Weir believes he already has the defensive qualities and experience required to become a star at Rangers.

 

The former Watford and Wigan defender signed a two-year deal with the Light Blues on Tuesday having travelled up to Glasgow the previous day to get a tour of Ibrox Stadium and Murray Park from the club’s new management team.

 

Weir was delighted to see the player’s eyes light up when he walked through the Main Stand’s front doors and to hear his desire to join Rangers.

 

He said: "Again, Rob is another one who has made it really obvious how keen he was to get here.

 

"He had opportunities in England, he was very close to signing for a couple of Championship clubs in England, and when we said how keen we were to get him here, he was desperate to come and that's really important.

 

"Mark has worked with him before and we played against him a couple of times last season both for Wigan and Birmingham so we saw his obvious attributes at that level.

 

"He's young, he fits the profile in regards to the type of person and a player and I think he adds to what we have already got here. So I think Rob will also be a really good signing for us and again for a lot of reasons."

 

On the player’s qualities, the Gers assistant manager added: "He's got a good size, he’s played at a good level, he's played a lot of football games, he's had a lot of experience at different areas at different clubs, he's mature, he's young, he's a good player, he's a football player, a modern day centre half, he can play in midfield as well if required.

 

“So he has got a lot of attributes and again he's a potential leader as well which we want.

 

"Once you speak to him you realise the type of person he is and as Mark has made really obvious that's a big part of what we want to do here. We want people who want to be here but we want the right type of people and ultimately good players."

 

On Kiernan’s career so far, Weir added: "He's had great experience at a variety of clubs and experiences and levels. But last season we have seen him quite closely and worked with him and obviously Mark knows him from way back.

 

“So there's a lot of work gone into it and a lot of different experiences but I think they are all positive and they are all things that can make him into the player we want him to be and he's shown to be very recently.

 

"He's good on the ball which is obviously important in regards to the modern defender but he's also a good size, he's athletic, he can use both feet. He genuinely has got a lot of really good attributes.

 

“He's not the finished article, he needs to get better at some things which we all do. That's part of our job is to try to improve the players and make them better and add value to them and to the football club.

 

"But he genuinely has, he is young and he's eager to learn and he’s definitely got room for improvement. But he's also at a good level right at this minute."

 

RANGERSTV subscribers can watch Davie Weir's full interviews on new signings Danny Wilson and Rob Kiernan now.

 

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/9521-rob-has-great-attributes

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Friday, 26 June 2015 13:00

Five Facts: Rob Kiernan

Written by Rangers Football Club

 

 

ROB KIERNAN signed for Rangers this week and we've pulled together five interesting facts about the defender:

 

1. Kiernan has had a taste of life up in Scotland before with a loan spell at Kilmarnock in 2010. The big defender played in the same team as current Gers number 1 Cammy Bell, making his debut in a 1-0 win over rivals Celtic at Parkhead. Kiernan told manager Jimmy Calderwood that he had played at right back lots of times despite never having played there before in order to play against Robbie Keane.
   
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3. The defender, born in Rickmansworth, played under Mark Warburton at the Milk Cup in 2008 for Watford - a competition that many other Rangers players have played in. Luca Gasparotto was named the Player of the Tournament in 2014 and other Gers including current Light Blue Dean Shiels who won the title with Northern Ireland beating Brazil 2-1 in 2004, have played in the competition.
   
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5. Despite being only 24 years old, Kiernan has played at nine different clubs on loan during his career. Since joining Watford in 2008, the Irish under-20 defender has played at Kilmarnock, Yeovil Town, Bradford City, Wycome Wanderers, Accrington Stanley, Burton Albion, Brentford, Southend United and Birmingham City.
   
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7. Kiernan started his career as a centre forward at Watford and current boss Mark Warburton switched him to the centre of defence for the Milk Cup campaign. He has also played as a midfielder from time to time during his spell at Birmingham, but is most comfortable in the heart of the defensive line. Kiernan developed a good relationship with Warburton at Watford that has always stuck with the Irishman, “He looked after me as a kid and helped develop me. He was one of those managers I’d look back on and think: ‘Yeh, they had a big influence on me’.
   
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9. Rob scored his first goal for Birmingham in bizarre circumstances last season. The defender met a David Cotterill corner, and his header brought a good save from Carl Ikeme which wasn't gathered at the first attempt. In the scramble that ensued, Birmingham full-back Jonathan Grounds clearly forced the ball over the line before it was half-cleared as far as Kiernan, who righted any injustice from close range to score.
   

 

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/9523-five-facts-rob-kiernan