Rangers told keeping 'unbelievable' star was huge transfer window win as club hero prepares to bin loyalties

The ex central defender represented Rangers as part of the club’s Tennent's Sixes squad at Braehead Arena at the weekend. Broadfoot is back with Kilmarnock now, where he works as a first team coach, analysing what Derek McInnes’ current crop will throw up for Neil McCann’s Killie this Saturday at Ibrox.

Emmanuel Fernandez is one player Broadfoot has his eye on after the defender remained in Glasgow for at least the first half of this Premiership season. There was constant speculation over his future in the summer but Fernandez has now formed an impressive centre-back pairing with Olwethu Makhanya.

What player were Rangers able to keep beyond the summer?

Broadfoot said: “I think a big one was keeping big Fernandez, keeping him here. He looks like an unbelievable player. I just think he's an all-round athlete. He's good on the ball. He's very good in the air. He's confident. He can probably do what he wants in the game, to be honest. He is the type of player that people look for.

“An athlete, big, good on the ball, good in the air. The two of them look well to be fair. I think Rangers will be strong and we play them next week with Kilmarnock. Hopefully they have an off day!"

One current Rangers player Broadfoot has worked first-hand with is Bailey Rice. The midfielder is on loan at Kilmarnock from Ibrox after last season was ravaged by injury. He has started to show the potential that brought him to Rangers from Motherwell and Broadfoot reckons he’ll become a Light Blues asset.

Bailey Rice at Rangers assessed

The Rugby Park coach said: "Bailey's a good lad. Slow at the start obviously coming off that injury but he's flying now. He's started the last two games and he's looking strong now. There's no getting away from the fact that Bailey had good ability even before he came here. We all knew that. It was just getting him back up to speed after his injury. The more he plays for us and the more he works with us, he'll be a good asset for Rangers."

A difficult start to McInnes’ time at Rangers was headlined by a Conference League play-off defeat to Jablonec but back-to-back wins over Celtic have restored confidence. He was wearing a Rangers kit over the weekend but there will be no sense of split loyalties for the Kilmarnock coach this Saturday. Broadfoot, who’s side were runners-up to Tennent’s Sixes victors Celtic, added: “No, this is a bit of fun with the boys.

“Obviously we take it competitive because we've got that side to us, but going into next weekend, I'm back at work, and it will be full steam ahead to analysing Rangers for the weekend.

"I knew Derek would get them going. He knows the league inside out and you can see that now. He's getting his team on the park and they look like the team in form and are looking to push on. Del's got so much experience at that level. He knows the game. You were able to see how well he did with Hearts and Aberdeen and at Kilmarnock. I always knew it would come good, it was just a matter of giving him time to get his team on the pitch."

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