Mark Warburton: New York chat with Niko Kranjcar convinced me he can shine at Rangers

The midfielder is on the verge of clinching a two-year deal to become Warburton’s sixth signing of the summer as Rangers gear up for a shot at the Premiership title.

Kranjcar is the latest former Premier League star to sign on at Ibrox ahead of the big kick-off and was given a tour of Murray Park on Wednesday as he edged closer to a move to Scotland.

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It is several weeks since Gers boss Warburton jetted out Stateside to hold a face-to-face chat with the former Portsmouth, Spurs and QPR star and to present his vision for a Light Blue future.

Warburton did enough to convince Kranjcar to give up his life in New York and spurn interest from elsewhere to make the switch to Ibrox.

And it was the 31-year-old who sealed the deal with his side of the conversation as he proved to Warburton he had the mentality to match his talent.

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Warburton said: “You can go and interview someone for an hour and after five minutes you are sitting there with nothing more to be said.

"There is nothing coming back. But we had three hours in New York and we could have had six.

“We talked about football and systems of play and where he sees himself.

“We went through a, b and c and the fact is you can sit there and talk about football all night if it’s the right person.

“I had that with Joey (Barton), I had that with Clint (Hill), he came to see me at St George’s Park and right away you know it’s the right person.

“Likewise Niko. I was delighted with the desire and quality of question and I hope the Rangers fans enjoy seeing a player of that quality on the pitch.”

There is no doubt that Kranjcar has the natural ability to make an instant impact at Ibrox but only time will tell if he can walk the walk after saying all the right things to Warburton last month.

He has spent recent months on the books of the New York Cosmos and seemed set to spurn a Gers switch to remain in the Big Apple with his actress partner.

But Warburton has dismissed fears that the playmaker had been winding down across the Atlantic and is sure he will shine on the big stage at Ibrox.

He said: “If you go and someone tells you they love going shopping in Fifth Avenue, or they tell you love flying to Florida for the weekend…

“Well if they are the responses you have a nice Italian and fly home with nothing done. But that wasn’t the response at all.

“It wasn’t about the money. He was asking about the Champions League, the squad and how we play and about the Celtic game.

“He asked all the right questions and, as I say, three hours in you are still going.

“He has training in the morning and I had a flight, so it was one of those. But I was delighted because he showed a real passion and desire.

“That doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed to be a great success. Every player you try to recruit is a risk.

“But I hope very much his quality will shine through and the Rangers fans will take to him.”

With his former Loftus Road team-mates Barton and Hill already on board at Ibrox, Kranjcar will look to quickly settle into his new surroundings as Rangers set their sights on Premiership glory next term.

The midfielder has ten honours and countless big games under his belt from a high-profile career, but life in Glasgow will present a different challenge.

It is one Warburton has no doubt that Kranjcar will rise to as he looks to inspire Rangers to glory next term.

He said: “When someone has 80 caps for Croatia like Niko it tells you a lot about their desire and their quality.

“I keep using the word quality and apologise for that, but you don’t get 80 caps for Croatia and not have bags of talent and vision and an ability to add something special to a very high calibre team.

“What we have to do now is produce a performance that gets the best out of him and likewise he has to work hard to get in our team.

“There are no givens, no guarantees. Any good pro knows that.”

As Kranjcar was putting the final touches to his move, Warburton took time out from his transfer wheeling and dealing and preparations for the big kick-off to promote a new partnership with East Dunbartonshire Council.

From August, 24 of the most promising young players will move to Boclair Academy to continue their education and combine their studies with training sessions at Rangers’ Auchenhowie base.

And Warburton is confident the scheme will help kids on and off the park as the Gers continue to build for the future at Academy level.

He said: “I think it’s good for the club. It shows the club working with the community.

“But don’t underestimate these projects. We had one down at Watford and they are very successful.

“It allows the students to combine sport with academic achievement.

“It gives them a real strong upbringing and a sense of belonging to a school here.

“We will work well with the school and vice versa. Hopefully it is the start of a long-standing project.”