Rangers legend Richard Gough has urged Olwethu Makhanya to remain at Ibrox for a couple of years and reach around 100 appearances before making a move to England, as the 22-year-old defender continues to impress in his debut season.
Gough, the club's nine-in-a-row winning captain, spoke to Makhanya and his agent Rob Moore last month after being asked to mentor the young South African international. The former skipper, who was raised in Johannesburg, said he was relieved to hear that Moore wants his client to stay in Glasgow despite reported interest from Brentford and Sunderland.
Gough's advice to young defender
Gough explained that Moore, who previously worked with Benni McCarthy, Steven Pienaar and Victor Wanyama, called him from California to ask for his thoughts on Makhanya. The defender had only played six or seven games at the time but was already attracting attention.
“What Rob really wants to happen is for the lad to stay at Ibrox for a couple of years say, get a hundred games or so under his belt and then make the move down south when he’s really ready for it,” Gough told Record Sport. “After all, he’s only a kid. He’s still only 22 and still learning to deal with everything going on around him.”
Impressive start at Ibrox
Makhanya, who joined Rangers for £3million from Philadelphia Union, has made a strong start, including a near-flawless display in the 1-0 win at Celtic Park. Gough praised his composure and ability to read the game, noting that he makes defensive partner Fernandez look a better player.
Gough, who signed for Rangers in 1987, said: “Speaking to Rob, I told him that the game at Celtic Park would be a good test for Maka - but boy did he cope with it well. He almost got himself a goal too - and what a goal it would have been! Listen, it’s still early days for the lad. He’s barely played 10 games so far.”
Future move likely but timing key
Gough acknowledged that clubs are likely already monitoring Makhanya, but he warned against a premature move to the English Premier League. “I'm sure there will be already clubs looking at him already,” he said. “But in all honesty, I’m not sure we can stop that.”
He added: “But the danger of going down there before he’s really ready, he might end up not playing. We had that chat but the good thing is that Maka seems quite grounded and he’s well looked after by Rob, who is a good guy.”
Gough pointed to Moore's handling of Wanyama at Celtic as an example, noting that the midfielder won titles and played in the Champions League before moving to England. “He showed that when Wanyama was at Celtic. He won a couple of titles there, played in the Champions League, scored against Barcelona - but only then did he take him to England. When he was ready.”
