Former Rangers defender Maurice Ross compares the path of Rangers centre-back Olwethu Makhanya to that of Virgil van Dijk and rates him above Jean-Alain Boumsong. Brentford and Sunderland reportedly scouted the South African defender last month.
Maurice Ross, a former Rangers defender, said on the SNN Sports podcast, quoted by Africa Soccer and relayed by All Football and Soccer Laduma, that the 22-year-old South African centre-back can reach the very top of world football.
Ross compares the player’s path to that of Virgil van Dijk, who moved from Celtic to Southampton before Liverpool, and rates him above Jean-Alain Boumsong, another former Rangers defender.
A Van Dijk-style trajectory
For Maurice Ross, Makhanya’s career should follow a clearly mapped-out route. “When you do things well at Rangers or Celtic at that level, like Van Dijk, you have to go through an intermediate club before making the big move, like Liverpool,” he explained on the SNN Sports podcast, according to All Football / Soccer Laduma.
Makhanya came through Philadelphia Union before joining Rangers. He is also a Bafana Bafana international. These comments come as the player has helped Rangers to second place in the league and the Scottish League Cup final, according to All Football.
“He can go all the way to the top”
Ross does not stop at the comparison. “I think Makhanya has that in him, I think he can go all the way to the top. He is athletic, calm with the ball, he likes defending, he loves being a defender,” he said, again according to All Football / Soccer Laduma.
The former Rangers defender goes even further by comparing the player to Jean-Alain Boumsong, who also passed through the Scottish club. “I think he is better than Boumsong, who ended up at Newcastle,” he concluded.
Brentford and Sunderland on the lookout
The South African’s progress has not gone unnoticed by scouts. Again according to All Football, Premier League clubs Brentford and Sunderland reportedly attended a Rangers match last month to scout him. The interest of both clubs has not been officially confirmed.
Brentford and Sunderland must still decide whether to make a transfer offer. Until then, Makhanya must play the Scottish League Cup final with Rangers.