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The World Cup of shocks continued on Friday as wily Croatia dumped favourites Brazil out on penalties.

It felt cruel. In the moments after Friday night's penalty shootout between Brazil and Croatia, an advertisement echoed through the stadium.

"Neymar's there!", the advertisement yelled out. And there he was, still on the field several minutes after it all ended, with his head in his hands and tears streaming down his face.

Brazil are gone, out of the World Cup that they always seemed so likely to win. They were favourites in this game and likely would have been in all of the ones to come. That didn't matter to Croatia.

If this were David and Goliath, and make no mistake, Brazil are a Goliath, then a penalty shootout is seemingly Croatia's rock, the great equaliser. They pushed the mighty Selecao to penalties and took over from there, with Rodrygo's miss setting the tone for his side's collapse.

And that's what it will feel like: a collapse. They seemingly had this settled thanks to Neymar himself, who had scored a career-defining goal in extra time to all but win it. All but, indeed.

Bruno Petkovic scored in the 116th minute and, from there, it all unraveled for Brazil, both the game and the World Cup.

Croatia are through. They've done it again. Argentina or the Netherlands await a team that just knows how to win games like this better than anyone else on the planet. They wait and wait and then strike, taking teams to extra time before, ultimately, taking them out of the competition.

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  The Winners

  Luka Modric:

  Special, just special.

  If this is his last World Cup and, let's be honest, it probably is, what a run it's been.

  Not that he looked like a man enjoying his swansong at the Education City Stadium. Modric is still Modric. What a player.

  He absolutely controlled this game, starting and stopping it as he pleased. His ability to manipulate tight spaces is almost otherworldly. Even at 37-years-old, Modric can simply do whatever he wants.

  He did that for large stretches of this match, completely dictating how the game was played. He's been doing it for so long now that it's no longer a surprise, even if most other humans would have surely slowed down by now.

  Not Modric. There's a reason he's one of the greats, after all.

  Dominik Livakovic:

  Who would have picked him as a World Cup hero? But here he is, writing quite a legacy.

  It began in the round of 16 against Japan as he stopped three of the four penalties he faced. And it continued on Friday against Brazil as the Dinamo Zagreb man continues to seal his place in World Cup history.

  He made 11 saves throughout the 120 minutes as part of an absolutely inhuman performance. As Brazil turned up the pressure, Livakovic was always there to turn things right back down and give Croatia a bit of momentum.

  Brazil did eventually score, though, with Livakovic raising his hand as if to say he was partially at fault. No one could blame him though, and if they were foolish enough to, he won them right back in the shootout.

  What a stop he made for Rodrygo's first penalty, although it wasn't the best spot kick. It set the tone and sent the Brazilian nerves spiraling and, ultimately, they never recovered.

  The world loves unlikely heroes and few are as unlikely Livakovic, who will even get another chance to build on an already historic tournament when Croatia play in the semis.

  Bruno Petkovic:

  Can you score a bigger goal?

  Extra time, World Cup knockout game against Brazil, your team trailing and in need of something, anything, to keep the game alive.

  It's no doubt the biggest goal of Bruno Petkovic's life, a strike that no one could have possibly seen coming.

  Brazil were cruising. They were in the lead, marching towards an inevitable victory that, ultimately, wasn't so inevitable. But then they fell asleep at the wheel and Petkovic pounced.

  It didn't put Croatia through, they still needed penalties for that, but it effectively sealed the game. Brazil never recovered.

  Petkovic earned his moment, holding up the ball and showing bravery in the limited moments he had to go forward. For 116 minutes though, it felt like a goal would never come but, when it did, wow.

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  The Losers

  Neymar:

  This isn't about his performance; this is about his legacy.

  For a few minutes, it seemed as if he'd finally had that career-defining goal at the World Cup. Until this point, his most memorable moment at the competition was him in tears in 2014 as everything crashed down around him.

  And then it happened again. How cruel can football be?

  He never even got to take a penalty thanks to misses from Marquinhos and Rodrygo. He could only watch on as it all ended in heartbreak again.

  It seemed like a game that would define his international career, another step towards an inevitable coronation and elevation among the Brazilian greats. Instead, it was more of the same: more heratbreak and more failure under the brightest lights for a player that deserved so much better.

  Tite:

  Brazil's manager will face plenty of questions in this one.

  From substitutes to penalty selection, it just felt like Tite got it all wrong.

  With their starting lineup, Brazil were willing to concede control of the midfield to bring in pure attacking numbers. It didn't work. Brazil's two-man pivot struggled to overcome Croatia's three, as most would. The attack, therefore, was left disjointed as the ball never really got going from back to front.

  Tite never adjusted. Instead, he threw attacker after attacker at the problem only for them to meet the same fate. Antony, Rodrygo, Richarlison, Pedro, Raphinha, Vinicius, all were ineffective.

  Neymar seemingly bailed his coach out with his late goal only for it to all fall apart as Brazil failed to bunker. And then came the penalties, which started with 21-year-old Rodrygo and ended with Neymar never getting a chance.

  There were ways to avoid this fate, but Tite never found him, and he'll have to explain why.

  Rodrygo and Marquinhos:

  Both will come back from this. It'll be hard to see it in the moment, but each will have their moments to atone.

  This will hurt though, and rightfully so.

  Rodrygo's penalty wasn't good enough, even if you have to admire the 21-year-old Real Madrid starlet for trying. It was brave to take one, although it may have been a bit foolish to put him first.

  Marquinhos, meanwhile, will be left to wonder why his shot couldn't have been a few inches to the side. Denied by the post in a penalty shootout… is there anything crueler?

  The pair will be big parts of the next cycle, and both were quickly consoled by teammates after it ended. In penalty shootouts, someone gets to be the hero and someone gets left heartbroken. On this night, it was the two Brazilians.

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  Brazil Ratings: Defence

  Alisson (6/10):

  Had almost nothing to do all game. Deflected shot beat him, so no harm there. Wasn't able to get to a penalty with the tournament on the line.

  Danilo (6/10):

  Did Brazil miss Alex Sandro or what? Just couldn't add anything to the attack out wide in a game that was dying for it.

  Marquinhos (5/10):

  Was good until it all went wrong. Ball deflected off of him for the goal before his shot struck the post in the shootout. A night to forget, but that'll be impossible

  Thiago Silva (8/10):

  120 minutes out of those old legs? Silva was fantastic on and off the ball.

  Eder Militao (7/10):

  Pretty good as an unnatural right back, even if his attacking skill was never up to par. Prime Dani Alves he is not.

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  Midfield

  Lucas Paqueta (5/10):

  Active and did set up Neymar's goal. In a midfield already down a man, was nowhere near crisp enough and he missed a few chances in the first 90 minutes.

  Casemiro (7/10):

  Had a few dicey moments early and collected a yellow but he's Casemiro. You know what you're getting here: a solid defensive presence.

From the adidas MUNDIAL to Nike's Total 90

There’s a lot that goes into a football boot design. There’s the materials, studs and laces, obviously, but nowadays there’s also the specific zones for control, shooting and accuracy, as well as different plates for speed or precision.

Then there’s the colours, whether you’re going for the all-time classic of black and white, or you want bright footwear to say something about the style of play.

Looking for the best football boots in 2023? GOAL has you covered

But when football boot design is great, it becomes much more than the sum of its parts. Suddenly, a boot becomes fused to a player in the public imagination.

The boot is no longer its own thing, now it’s David Beckham standing over a free-kick, it's Lionel Messi leaving defenders in his wake or it's Thierry Henry ruling over Highbury.

With that in mind, here are 20 of the best boots of all time…

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  1Predator Mania

  The boot to end all boots, adidas’ Predator franchise is undoubtedly one of the most famous lines to ever launch, and has been updated, reworked and rejigged over the last 28 years.

  The boot reached its peak in 2002, though, with the launch of the Predator Mania.

  Already eight years old by this point, the Predator was a popular boot. The launch of the Mania sent it stratospheric, further refining the off-centre tongue and laces and the boots’ signature rubber control pads.

  Over the course of the year, to mark the 2002 World Cup, adidas launched the boots in a variety of “Champagne” colourways, but the headline grabber was always the black and red design.

  Nowadays, those Predator Manias are a symbol of early noughties football, worn by everyone from Steven Gerrard and David Beckham to Xavi and Zinedine Zidane. For a brief moment, the boots even crossed over and rugby’s very own Jonny Wilkinson laced up his pair.

  The relaunch of Predator Mania will be available to buy Sunday, 10 July from the Adidas website.

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  2Nike Total 90 III

  Nike’s Total 90 line only existed from 2000 until 2013, before it was replaced by the Hypervenom. But in that time, the line was home to one of the all-time great Premier League match balls and a series of now-iconic boots.

  One of the stand-out Total 90 releases arrived in 2002, with the T90 II, complete with an asymmetric construction and a colourful gradient stripe. That boot also starred in “The Secret Tournament” advert, directed by Terry Gilliam, soundtracked by Elvis and packed with the world’s best players.

  It was the next installment of the Total 90 that cemented it as a cultural force, though. Arriving in 2004, the T90 III didn’t feature a tongue, and was best known for its huge, circular 90 logo and the block colour on the instep.

  The boot was a hit, but more importantly, the astro version became a school disco classic.

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  3adidas Copa Mundial

  The adidas Copa Mundial is a classic at every level of the game. It made its debut in 1979 – although it was planned for the 1982 World Cup in Spain – and has always been popular for its black and white colours and no-frills design.

  Over the subsequent decades, adidas has returned to the Copa franchise to update the boot. New technologies, constructions and designs have been used to continually reinvent the line for new audiences.

  Throughout all of this, the Copa Mundial has remained one of the most popular boots ever released – and was the best seller for a long time.

  Even 43 years after it was launched, that black leather, serrated Three Stripes and subtle gold branding make up a football institution.

  Get the Copa Mundial boots from adidas for £130.00

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  4PUMA King

  The PUMA King has been around for more than 50 years. Over five decades of trends and fads have come and gone, but the black boot with its white Formstripe has been a regular sight across them all.

  It’s the boot that Pele wore to top score at the 1970 World Cup, it was on Maradona’s feet for the “Goal of the Century,” Lothar Matthaus laced up a pair before winning the 1990 World Cup and, with it, the Ballon d’Or.

  After all of that history, the King faded from top level football for a while, before 2020’s deal with Neymar saw the iconic boot back at the front for a new generation. The Brazilian’s first release alongside PUMA saw him put his own spin on the boot, adding an interlocking logo to the signature Formstripe.

  Get the latest version of the PUMA King boots from Puma for £180.00

UEFA has missed the deadline to publish their report into the chaos surrounding Glasgow Rangers’ Europa League match against Slavia Prague at Ibrox last month.

UEFA miss deadline in Gers fiasco

The Gers were knocked out of the round of 16 by the Czech champions after losing 2-0 at Ibrox. However, the match was marred by a number of incidents, with Glen Kamara accusing Ondrej Kudela of racist abuse before the latter said the Finland international had hit him in the tunnel (slavia.cz).

Last week, Slavia president Jaroslav Tvrdik said UEFA had until April 5 to share their report (slavia.cz) – but they are yet to do so.

*Since this article was published, Ewan Murray has confirmed UEFA have opened ‘proceedings’ against Kudela.

Outcome is needed

Of course, it is important the European governing body carry out their due diligence to make sure they have all the information they need to make the right decision. However, for everyone involved in this sorry debacle, an outcome is needed sooner rather then later.

Depending on the decision, it is important that Kamara gets closure. What he is said to have been on the end of is out of order and must be eradicated both from the game of football and everyday life. UEFA will know they will be sending a message no matter the result – that is perhaps why they are taking so long to come to a decision.

In other news, some Rangers fans do not agree with these Steven Gerrard comments.

Thanks to our friends at Opta, Goal runs through the players who have converted the most league spot-kicks since August 2014

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  15Zlatan Ibrahimovic

  LEAGUE PENALTIES TAKEN: 18

  LEAGUE PENALTIES SCORED: 15

  CONVERSION RATE: 83.3%

  He may have left European football for MLS in 2018, but Zlatan is still fondly remembered for his exploits across the continent. Among his many other talents, the Swedish striker was a dab hand from the penalty spot.

  Since the start of 2014-15 season, Ibrahimovic missed just three spot-kicks in league football, while netting for Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United in that period.

  He also boasts a perfect record in the United States, converting all four of his attempts to date for LA Galaxy.

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  14Neymar

  LEAGUE PENALTIES TAKEN: 17

  LEAGUE PENALTIES SCORED: 15

  CONVERSION RATE: 88.2%

  The Brazil star has not always had things his own way when it comes to penalties. At Barcelona and PSG alike he has had to battle it out with established takers like Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, even holding an on-pitch struggle with the latter over the right to take a spot-kick.

  Statistics suggest, however, that few are better than Neymar. With just two misses in the last four seasons, the PSG forward enjoys one of the best conversion rates in the game.

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  13Paulo Dybala

  LEAGUE PENALTIES TAKEN: 17

  LEAGUE PENALTIES SCORED: 15

  CONVERSION RATE: 88.2%

  To see that Cristiano Ronaldo is not Juventus' most lethal penalty-taker may come as something of a surprise. But it is a testament to Dybala's coolness under pressure that he enjoys a better league success rate even than his illustrious new team-mate.

  Dybala has taken 17 Serie A penalties since 2014, missing just twice. None have come this season, however, as the Argentine has handed over duties to Ronaldo.

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  12Robert Lewandowski

  LEAGUE PENALTIES TAKEN: 16

  LEAGUE PENALTIES SCORED: 15

  CONVERSION RATE: 94.1%

  A penalty for Bayern Munich is essentially a goal for Bayern Munich, thanks to their unerring Poland striker.

  March 2018's miss against against Hamburg was the first time Lewandowski had failed from the spot in the Bundesliga since 2013, while he was still at Dortmund, and his entire professional career shows 41 conversions and just four saved or missed.

The in-form Chelsea forward continued his fine goalscoring form this weekend, while his Arsenal counterpart struck twice against Fulham

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  1Alexandre Lacazette | ST | Arsenal

  The Frenchman scored with both of his shots on target against Fulham, taking his scoring tally to four for the 2018-19 PL campaign.

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  2Eden Hazard | LW | Chelsea

  Eden Hazard scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the first time since October 2016 (also v Southampton).

• 3Gylfi Sigurdsson | CAM | Everton

  In addition to scoring the winner, no Everton player had more shots (4) or made more key passes (4) than Sigurdsson.

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  4David Brooks | RW | Bournemouth

  Brooks opened the scoring for Bournemouth at Vicarage Road, netting his second goal in as many Premier League outings.

Stunning victories have been snatched from the jaws of defeat countless times in football. Here, Goal takes a look at some of the best comebacks

• Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal | Premier League | 2011

  The Gunners ran rampant in the opening half hour at St James' Park with Theo Walcott opening the scoring in the first minute, while Robin van Persie's double ensured they led 4-0 after 25 minutes.

  Cruising at the break, Arsenal lost momentum when Abou Diaby was sent off four minutes into the second half after an altercation with Newcastle's Joey Barton.

  Barton started Newcastle's recovery with 21 minutes remaining by converting a penalty and Leon Best struck in the 75th minute to make it 4-2.

  Another Barton penalty in the 83rd minute gave the hosts a sniff before Cheick Tiote sensationally volleyed home from 25 yards to complete Newcastle's comeback in front of their own fans. 

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  Germany 4-4 Sweden | World Cup qualifying | 2012

  This is the only time Germany have thrown away a four-goal lead in their history, with Sweden scoring all of their goals after the hour mark to draw in Berlin.

  Germany led 3-0 at the break and extended their lead in the 56th minute when Mesut Ozil scored but the half-time introduction of Kim Kallstrom turned the tide for Sweden.

  Kallstrom expertly picked out Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 62nd minute for the Swedish striker to head beyond Manuel Neuer, while the substitute also chipped the ball over Germany's defence two minutes later for Mikael Lustig to convert from a tight angle.

  Johan Elmander dragged the visitors closer in the 76th minute before Rasmus Elme equalised in stoppage time to spark wild celebrations from all wearing yellow and blue at the Olympiastadion.

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  Juventus 2-3 Manchester United | Champions League | 1999

  United's less famous comeback in the 1998-99 Champions League came at the semi-final stage when Juventus, who claimed a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the first leg, took an early 2-0 lead in the return match in Turin thanks to Filippo Inzaghi's brace.

  Captain Roy Keane, who would be yellow carded in Italy, which ensured he wouldn't play in the final, started United's comeback with a near-post header at a corner.

  The visitors were level on the night at half-time thanks to Dwight Yorke's header from Andy Cole's cross and the latter completed United's triumph with a goal seven minutes from time.

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  Manchester United 2-1 Bayern Munich | Champions League final | 1999

  Just over a month later and Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils were at it again, clinching the European Cup in second-half stoppage time in the final at Camp Nou.

  Bayern had led since the sixth minute through Mario Basler's free-kick but the introduction of Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the second half would eventually break the Bavarians' hearts.

  Two corners were Bayern's undoing with Sheringham levelling the match in the 91st minute after the Bundesliga club failed to clear the ball from their penalty area.

  It was Solskjaer's turn two minutes later as he poked the ball past Oliver Kahn after Sheringham had flicked David Beckham's corner on at the near post.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Juventus forward Paulo Dybala recently, and if he were to join the Reds, it would surely spell the end for Divock Origi.

The Argentine’s contract with the Serie A side is set to expire in 2022, with it suggested that the Old Lady could look to cash in on him next summer, to avoid potentially losing him for free at the end of next season.

Dybala has often been a regular at Juventus since joining from Palermo in the summer of 2015, making 244 appearances, contributing 98 goals and 40 assists in that time.

However, the 27-year-old has found himself on the fringes of Andrea Pirlo’s squad this season, making just eight starts and three substitute appearances in Serie A, in which he has contributed two goals and two assists, averaging a solid 7.04 rating.

This suggests that he still has a lot of quality and that he has impressed on his rare appearances, so he would surely be looking to establish himself as a regular member of Liverpool’s attack if he were to make the move to Anfield this summer.

Therefore, with Origi having struggled throughout the season so far, it is difficult to see where the Belgian international would get any game time should a player of Dybala’s quality arrive.

The former Lille man, who earns £60k per week at Liverpool, has failed to score or assist in any of his 12 Premier League and Champions League appearances this season, whilst his 6.19 average rating in the top-flight is one of the lowest in the squad.

It was suggested that Origi could depart during the winter transfer window but he ended up staying put, although it seems likely that his first-team chances will only decrease further now that Diogo Jota has recovered from his injury.

Dybala was described as a player of “extraordinary quality” by Juventus and Italy legend Alessandro Del Piero in 2020, so whilst Origi has some memorable moments in a Liverpool shirt, there seems no doubt that Dybala is a much better overall player than the Belgian, so it would not be a surprise to see him depart should the Argentinian join Jurgen Klopp’s side in the summer.

And, in other news… Edwards should seal Liverpool swoop for 6 ft 3 beast who silenced Messi at 19

Marcel Brands should seal a summer swoop for Everton to sign VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic and hand Carlo Ancelotti a second Dominic Calvert-Lewin type player.

What’s the word?

According to Tutto Juve, Serie A powerhouse Juventus are exploring a deal to sign Stuttgart striker Kalajdzic at the end of the season, but face vivid European competition.

The 23-year-old forward is thought to be on the radars of Everton, Newcastle United and RB Leipzig, after his Bundesliga side slapped an ‘affordable’ €20m (£17m) asking price on him.

Kalajdzic is noted by the Italian publication to be seen as the next Erling Haaland after scoring 13 goals in 24 German top-flight games this season, and he could well make a similar leap as the Borussia Dortmund sensation he is compared to.

Haaland trails only Bayern Munich’s 32-goal monster Robert Lewandowski in the Bundesliga Golden Boot race with 19 in 20 games, while Kalajdzic ranks sixth having contributed 28% of Stuttgart’s 47 efforts to date.

Reports by the Daily Mail also presented West Ham United as a potential destination for the £7,500-per-week attacker earlier this month, as David Moyes draws up a shortlist of options to target at the London Stadium.

Those claims also mentioned RB Leipzig’s interest but added that of Serie A side AS Roma, which have been supported by German publication Kicker, who note that Stuttgart’s Sporting Director Sven Mislintat has confirmed that player sales are likely this summer.

But the Mercedes-Benz Arena natives’ asking price has been questioned with the Daily Mail citing a valuation of around £15m, while Kicker claim a fee of between €20-25m (£17-21.5m) will be needed to strike a deal.

Should Everton sign Kalajdzic?

Everton appear to be drawing up their own shortlist of attacking weapons that Ancelotti and Brands can target at the end of the season, as the Goodison Park natives have recently been linked with FC Barcelona’s Martin Braithwaite too.

The Toffees may be putting precautions in place with speculation surrounding the long-term futures of Joshua King and Moise Kean on Merseyside, while Cenk Tosun will only have a year remaining on his £60,000-per-week contract come June.

Tosun is unlikely to be offered new terms given his struggles in the Premier League with 11 goals in 58 games since a £27m move from Besiktas in 2018, while King is yet to find the back of the net since his Deadline Day arrival last month.

Brands instead moving to sign Kalajdzic could see the Everton chief land Ancelotti a second Calvert-Lewin type, one who is able to match the Toffees’ top-scorer on the pitch, rather than force the Blues to play to a different tune.

Ancelotti often relies on Calvert-Lewin to offer a focal point in attack that Everton can target and play off, with the 24-year-old contesting 8.8 aerial duels a game in the Premier League – close to double the next-most of Lucas Digne (4.7) and Yerry Mina (4.6), per WhoScored.

Kalajdzic, who has been dubbed an “Ibrahimovic-machine” in comparison to Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his 6 ft 5 stature, can match that presence, having contested 5.2 aerial duels per game in the Bundesliga this term, along with taking 2.1 shots to Calvert-Lewin’s 2.5.

While the fee needed may still be unknown at this point, Brands should surely be working on a deal for Kalajdzic to join Everton.

AND in other news, Everton have their eyes on a £105k-p/w striker with three goals in 34 games for his current side…

According to The Sun, Manchester United are keeping tabs on both Kingsley Coman and Jadon Sancho as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeks to bolster his wide options.

What’s the word?

Solskjaer’s side already secured the signing of Amad Diallo from Serie A side Atalanta in the January transfer window but now it seems that they want more.

United are currently second-placed in the Premier League, with the Red Devils putting three past Newcastle to move 10 points behind Manchester City.

However, Solskjaer is still keen to add further reinforcements to his squad this summer as he targets a first Premier League title for the club since Sir Alex Ferguson last won one in 2013 and he has identified Coman and Sancho as two of his top targets.

Coman or Sancho?

But the likelihood is it’ll be either-or for Ed Woodward. So, who should be the top target for the Red Devils and why?

In Coman, who is nearly four years older than Sancho, United would land a player with bags of experience at the top level of the game.

Sancho, however, could be the difference-maker to add a spark in their attack which has often been accused of looking rather one-dimensional due to their over-reliance on Bruno Fernandes.

Now, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, given Fernandes’ excellent goal return for the Red Devils, but if United opt for Sancho and stick him on the right wing, he’ll likely score goals. Lots of goals.

The England international has scored 44 goals and recorded 59 assists across 128 appearances in all competitions. By comparison, Coman has provided fewer goals and assists in over 180 appearances for Bayern Munich.

It’s been an open secret Solskjaer has harboured a long-standing interest in the 20-year-old monster, with the club trying to persuade the highly-rated right winger to move to Old Trafford on more than one occasion, but ultimately to no avail. Reports in recent times have revealed that he could only cost the club £50m in a cut-price deal.

If we compare the attacking duo this term, it’s close but no cigar. Sancho is still edging Coman in almost every area. Coman is averaging just 1.7 key passes per game whereas Sancho has made 2.3 key passes.

Perhaps crucially, the latter also surpasses the 24-year-old in terms of dribbles per match in the Bundesliga (3.2). For context, that’s more than other United player in the Premier League this season thus far, which suggests that he’d offer a greater attacking threat.

It may seem like we’re in danger of repeating ourselves but it’s growing increasingly evident that Woodward must sanction a swoop for Sancho in the summer after he scored against Schalke at the weekend.

AND in other news, Man Utd’s Victor Lindelof let Ole Gunnar Solskjaer down on Sunday…

According to The Daily Record, Glasgow Rangers target Jack Simpson has agreed a Bosman move to Steven Gerrard’s side, which could spell bad news for George Edmundson in regards to his future prospects.

What’s the word?

The Rangers centre-back has struggled for game time this season having fallen out of favour with Gerrard after he served a lengthy suspension for breaching coronavirus restrictions.

Gerrard is currently blessed with great defensive options again, with Leon Balogun and Filip Helander jostling for the position alongside Connor Goldson, so it’s no surprise that Edmundson finds himself at the bottom of the pecking order, as he has made just one substitute appearance in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, averaging a miserable 5.52 rating overall.

Following the news that Rangers have agreed a pre-contract deal with Simpson, it is within the realm of possibility that the 23-year-old could find himself heading for the Ibrox exit, considering the Gers also have Nikola Katic on their books, with Gerrard recently confirming that the Croatian is progressing nicely in his recovery from injury.

When one door opens, another closes

Rangers signed Edmundson from Oldham Athletic on a four-year deal for a fee in the region of £700,000 in 2019.

Since then, he has made 16 appearances for the 54-time Scottish champions, scoring twice and supplying an assist in all competitions.

Gerrard had insisted that Edmundson could still find a way back into the first team in the future, saying:

“I think the important thing here was to get the players out of the isolation period, first and foremost. Then it was about sitting down with the players face-to-face to gauge a reaction to how they feel and where they were at.

“I spoke to them both individually and they were both very sad over the incident, they were remorseful, apologetic and full of regret. They first and foremost wanted to apologise to the supporters and their team-mates for their actions.
“In my position, it was time to support these two players once I saw that reaction. It was the reaction I wanted to see.
“Now it’s about me giving them the support and managing them to come back to top players because they are good players, we need them here to help and support us moving forward.”

However, reports in recent weeks have revealed Rangers will consider a January loan exit for Edmundson as he hasn’t played despite returning from suspension.

Having excelled for Bournemouth, the Scottish giants have taken a gamble on Simpson and it’s fair to say that they could be duly rewarded. He is currently averaging more tackles and clearances per game than Edmundson, which suggests that he could be a significant upgrade on the Rangers outcast. He’s currently valued at £1m but Rangers are getting him for free.

If Edmundson can’t re-establish himself in the first team at all between now and the end of this season, then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him leave for pastures new in the near future.

AND in other news, Filip Helander proved a point to Steven Gerrard with his performance against Ross County…