SIGNING players to the quality of Steven Davis and Jermain Defoe is a real statement from the Rangers board and management.

Bringing in a world-famous player like Defoe in particular shows how serious they are about challenging Celtic for the Ladbrokes Premiership this season.

The directors came in for a lot of criticism last season before Steven Gerrard was appointed manager.

But you can’t accuse them of not getting behind Steven so far. When they have backed him his recruitment has been very, very good.

It is a very interesting time at Ibrox at the moment following the win in the Old Firm game at the end of last month.

You can see they are really giving it a push to go and win the Scottish title. It is great for the fans to see and it is brilliant for football in this country.

I played against Jermaine when I was with Wigan and he was with Spurs. Fortunately, I didn’t play in defence against him. Thanks goodness!

He is razor sharp, a tremendous natural finisher. His age, 36, is completely irrelevant because of the shape he is in.

Given chances he will score goals. And Rangers have been creating chances this season.

Alfredo Morelos has done fantastically well once again this season and is the top scorer in the country with 20 goals to his name. That is a phenomenal return.

But he definitely needs a hand. Kyle Lafferty too. I think Jermaine is a different kind of player to both of them.

He plays on the shoulder, he will stretch the game, his touch is good and when the ball goes wide his movement is phenomenal.

Steven is so versatile that I don’t know exactly where he will fit into Gerrard’s team when the Scottish football season resumes after the winter break.

Will he be the one who sits in? Or will he be the guy who goes forward? He is an all-round midfield player.

I partnered him a couple of times in the middle of the pitch. But he can play on the left and he can play on the right. He can play as an attacking midfielder and as a defensive midfielder.

I can see him, even though he is 34 now, being the one who plays a little bit further forward.

You could argue that Scott Arfield performs the box-to-box midfielder role at Rangers now. He has got good legs and he gets about the park well. He is a hard worker and has scored a few goals.

I just think that Rangers need somebody in midfield who can get into double figures in the goal scoring charts if they are to challenge for the league. I think Steven can be that man.

Arfield has been on target quite a bit this season. Maybe Ryan Jack will become the sitting midfielder and Arfield and Davis can go forward.

But Gerrard is going to have to rotate his squad in the second half of the season.

Rangers are out of Europe now, but there is still the Ladbrokes Premiership and the William Hill Scottish Cup to play for.

When the games are coming thick and fast they are going to need every play in the squad to play a part.

So the fact that Steven can play in so many different positions is going to be helpful.

I AM not surprised that Swansea are rumoured to be interested in Ross McCrorie given how well he did for Rangers in the Celtic game and I am sure that the player is flattered by the link.

But there can be no better man for Ross to learn off than Gerrard because he plays in the same position as him. He would, then, be well advised to stay where he is.

I am sure he will continue to get game time in the second half of the season despite the number of players there are in his positions.

The good thing for Steven is that Ross can play in a few different places. That is brilliant for any manager. I am sure he will be very keen to keep him.

He can play right back, centre half and he can sit in midfield as part of a two or a three. He definitely gives Gerrard options.

But Rangers do need to get players out. I am sure Edouardo Herrera and Carlos Pena will be two guys who they are keen to cut their ties with.

I just don’t see where they would fit in. They have three strikers so they don’t need Herrera. And as for Pena? The squad is heavy with central midfield players.

They are surplus to requirements with the players coming in. It is doubtful that either of them were good enough anyway.

If they go it could free up some wages to bring in some new players before the window closes.