Rangers star’s verdict on Amad after loan spell and extra motivation to beat Man Utd
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Rangers captain James Tavernier says he knew Amad was destined for the top after playing alongside the Manchester United star. Amad, 22, spent time on loan with Rangers during the second half of the 2021-22 campaign after joining United 12 months earlier. The Ivory Coast international played just 502 minutes in all competitions, scoring three times in 13 appearances.
He then enjoyed a more fruitful loan spell in the Championship with Sunderland before breaking through at Old Trafford, with the youngster impressing under United's new head coach, Ruben Amorim, this term. Tavernier knows that Amad will be one of United's danger men when they meet in the Europa League - and he isn't surprised to see him excelling for the Premier League giants.
“I was always convinced Amad would be a top player,” Tavernier said in a pre-match press conference on Wednesday. “He showed some good spells but was in and out of team at Rangers. But had a good spell at Sunderland and is now showing his top talent.
“We need to be aware of his threat. Ibrox is a different learning curve. His time here will have taught him a lot.”. United have struggled in the Premier League this season and are currently 13th in the table after losing 3-1 at home to Brighton this past weekend.
But they are on course to qualify for the knockout stage of the new-look Europa League. The Red Devils are seventh, just one place ahead of Rangers, making Thursday's match even more significant. Boyhood Leeds fan Tavernier says Rangers will be taking nothing for granted against United despite their struggles in the Premier League, adding: “We've lacked consistency this season. But I feel in Europe we've handled ourselves well. This competition has been good for us. Tomorrow is a big challenge we're looking forward to. Everyone will give 110 percent.
