Steven Davis is a 'huge' figure for Rangers and they must retain him beyond the summer.
That's the verdict of Celtic hero Frank McAvennie who has used Jermain Defoe as a prime example of how big an influence he can have. The veteran midfielder is currently sidelined through injury and is out of contract in the summer. He is one of a number of key players who the future remains unclear for at this stage but is one Macca would retain.
Steven Gerrard put Defoe in a coaching role while at Rangers and while his game-time on the park was limited, the influence he had on Alfredo Morelos was noticeable. The Hoops legend believes Davis could adopt a similar approach with the youngsters at Ibrox. McAvennie believes the Northern Ireland international has been a 'brilliant' player for years in Govan and if he was on the books the midfielder is one he'd sponge information from.
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He told Football Insider : “I do not think the youngsters nowadays can be bothered with the past and do not care who has done what.
“Davis is a player that I would look up to. He has been there, seen it and done it. I do not get why he would not want to keep him around the place in a coaching role.
“Defoe was great for [Alfredo] Morelos, just watching him every day. No matter what people say Davis is a great, he has been brilliant for years. If I was a Rangers players I would want to train with him every day and listen to him. He’s a huge figure for them.“
Speaking earlier this month about the Rangers veteran, boss Beale said: “He’s back in the training ground. He’s had the op and he’s in and around the lads. I saw that glint in his eye.
“Michael O’Neill has gone back to be the national coach and I know he has a fantastic relationship with him. Steven Davis will have a magnitude of options. He was going to be a key player for us between now and the end of the season. We have missed him.
“Times like a few weeks at Kilmarnock when we were 3-1 in front, I just think Steven would have made better decisions for the group. Maybe he’d have had a little word in one or two ears, so we are missing him.
“He’s got a long road in his recovery, but I think everything is in Steven’s hands.”
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