Glen Kamara laid the foundations at Arsenal...

[ian1964 10,415]

...and is building towards a bright future with Steven Gerrard’s Rangers

By Christopher Jack

 

GLEN Kamara isn’t the kind of person to make headlines with his comments but he is a player that deserves the plaudits for his performances this season.

Kamara does his talking on the pitch. He is a quiet and unassuming character, but a polite and courteous one, in front of the microphones and cameras.

On the park, the 24-year-old is very different, though. He operates with a confidence and assurance that is expected of a Rangers player and he is an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s Ibrox squad.

His latest impressive showing came against Porto on Thursday evening as Kamara helped Rangers to a hugely important Europa League victory.

The headlines went to scorers Alfredo Morelos and Steven Davis but Kamara’s efforts are well worthy of recognition too.

Gerrard said: “He’s quieter speaking to you guys! You need to try and get him out of his shell.

“I think he has settled in really well. He has been schooled really well, both on and off the pitch. He is a good-mannered boy who wants to learn and wants to work.

 

“He is in a fantastic place doing well for Finland as well.

“You still sometimes have to pinch yourself to realise what we got him for and where he was at, with all due respect.

“He was outside of Dundee’s XI, wasn’t playing and was running down his contract. It’s very rare to take someone of his quality for what we got him for. We’re just delighted we’ve got him here for a long time.”

The Ibrox crowd were pleasantly surprised by Kamara when he first arrived from Dundee. A £50,000 deal saw him arrive six months earlier that initially scheduled after a pre-contract had been agreed and he certainly hit the ground running.

That form from the second half of last season has been continued this term. There is surely plenty more to come from the Finnish international at Ibrox and it is no surprise to see potential suitors make the trip to Glasgow to see him in action in recent weeks.

“It was the first time we played Dundee, really,” Gerrard said of how he became aware of Kamara’s ability and potential. “We analysed them and one thing stood out a lot – him. It was his technical ability, how he received the ball, the way he manipulated it.

“It was different to the rest of Dundee’s team, with all due respect.We kept an eye on him from that moment and watched him in a lot of other games. We basically found out who was representing him and went from there.

“I don’t put numbers on my players. We know he is getting watched now. We know that. And Glen can play at any level, with the right players and style around him.

“But the style we play is perfect for him. The system and the people around him. He is in a good place at a magnificent club. He’s gone from Arsenal to get playing and is now back at a fantastic club. If he keeps posting performances like that, a lot more people are going to sit up and take notice for sure.

“How do I know he’s being watched? Because I get a list of teams who are coming to our directors’ box. There is a mix of clubs.”

The rise to prominence that Kamara has enjoyed at Rangers has been fairly rapid but the midfielder has put in the time and effort over a longer period to make his name.

Spells on loan at Southend and Colchester didn’t allow him to establish himself with Arsenal but the move to Dundee gave him a chance to find his feet.

Kamara took one step back leaving the Gunners, but he has made significant strides forward in the years since and he continues to improve and impress at Ibrox.

Gerrard said: “I think that’s what these young kids have to do.

“Sometimes if you don’t see a pathway or don’t feel you in the right place for your progression you have to take a step back, or find a place where you can get regular football for your development.

“That’s what Glen did. To be fair, Dundee coached him really well. Glen really bought into Neil McCann’s possession style and he is fantastic coach who did a good job with him.

“I think Neil has played his part in getting Glen to where he is now.

“It just made total sense for us to do it when we did. Rangers and Glen Kamara is a good match.

“A lot of kids who are schooled the Arsenal way are going to be comfortable in a style like ours. He coped at Dundee in this league so you know he has got a little bit about him in terms of out of possession.

“He ticked a lot of boxes. No-one had a bad word to say about him.”

The squad that Gerrard has assembled ensures he has plenty of selection questions to answer every week. The decisions in midfield - where he also has Steven Davis, Ryan Jack and Joe Aribo in form - are perhaps the most difficult.

It is a good problem to have and Kamara will continue to stake his own claims for a jersey this season.

“I think Glen is in good form at the moment and the players love playing with him,” Gerrard said. “He is someone who is always available. He will never hide, he will always give you an angle and take the ball in any situation.

“The midfield three of late have been outstanding and they compliment each other well. That is the strongest part of our squad at the moment.

“We have people who probably don’t deserve to be outside of that three. We also have people outside the 18 who are fighting to get in.”

https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/18024846.glen-kamara-laid-foundations-arsenal-building-towards-bright-future-steven-gerrards-rangers/?ref=twtrec

[Rousseau 9,370]

It's a fantastic story.

 

I think he epitomises the player profile we should be going after; young, technical, but cheap and underestimated. 

 

I was first made aware of him the season before we signed him; he was regularly around the top of the league in terms of stats, with his passing and interceptions especially top notch. It was just the little hint that he's able to do things that others of that level can't. 

 

Gerrard makes a good point about players fitting into the style of the team. He was developed at Arsenal, but then the styles at Southend, Colchester and then Dundee -- under McCann he did well, because there was an intent to keep the ball, but not the other manager(s) -- didn't really suit his abilities. 

[JFK-1 1,671]

Definitely one of our best acquisitions given 50K is pocket change in comparison to the prices we typically have to pay for equivalent quality.

[Briton 314]

Great to see him doing so well.  

 

Claudio Cannigia, Nacho Novo and Glen Kamara.   That's three absolute bargains we've had  from Dundee.  

[buster. 4,808]

You could see when at Dens Park that his style of play was somewhat incongruent with Dundee FC and the rest of it's first team squad. He had the ability, the background but the doubt was obviously in his attitude and ability to cope at a bigger club.

 

Before he made his Rangers debut, I said on here that I thought he'd do better than Steve Davis (joined on loan at the same time) and I think for those 5 months, he did. Thankfully, SD is now very much up to speed as well.

 

We took on a low stakes gamble and it's paid off. 

The club get quite a bit of stick for their transfer dealing, credit where credit is due. 

Edited November 9, 2019 by buster.

[JFK-1 1,671]

Gerrard comment on Kamara.

 

Quote

“We know Glen is getting watched now. How do I know? Because I get a list of teams who are coming to our directors’ box. There is a mix of clubs and Glen can play at any level, with the right players and style. But the style we play is perfect for him"

 

[Briton 314]

2 hours ago, buster. said:

You could see when at Dens Park that his style of play was somewhat incongruent with Dundee FC and the rest of it's first team squad. He had the ability, the background but the doubt was obviously in his attitude and ability to cope at a bigger club.

 

Before he made his Rangers debut, I said on here that I thought he'd do better than Steve Davis (joined on loan at the same time) and I think for those 5 months, he did. Thankfully, SD is now very much up to speed as well.

 

We took on a low stakes gamble and it's paid off. 

The club get quite a bit of stick for their transfer dealing, credit where credit is due. 

When was the last time we had so many bargain buys in the squad?  Alfredo Morelos,  Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo  are three examples of very good business.

[craig 5,195]

5 hours ago, Briton said:

When was the last time we had so many bargain buys in the squad?  Alfredo Morelos,  Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo  are three examples of very good business.

Tavernier, Ryan Jack, Arfield, Steven Davis, Allan McGregor, Jermain Defoe (when he signs his permanent contract)

 

All of the above can be considered bargain too

[craig 5,195]

The only expensive players we have in our squad are Kent, Goldson, Helander, Barisic and maybe Katic

 

And I suspect we would get our money back on all of them.

[JFK-1 1,671]

19 minutes ago, craig said:

The only expensive players we have in our squad are Kent, Goldson, Helander, Barisic and maybe Katic

 

And I suspect we would get our money back on all of them.

At a million pounds Alfie wasn't cheap but in saying that on current form and with some of the valuations flying around it still might be considered a bargain.