“I need this sign.” These were the words of former Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, who recalled his demands on the Ibrox board when the signing of Kemar Roofe was at stake.
Late last year, Gerrard was adamant that Roofe was the player he wanted, hinting that the striker’s signing was “one of the only times I almost spit out[my own]dummy”.
To his credit, the Englishman’s enthusiasm for the deal proved correct, with the 2020 signing playing a key role in Gers’ title win in his debut season, scoring 18 goals in all competitions, 14 of which came in the Premiership.
Rangers top scorer – 20/21* | |
|---|---|
player | the goal |
Tavernier | 19 |
roof | 18 |
Morelos state | 17 |
kent | 13 |
goldson | 8 |
Hagi | 8 |
they are | 8 |
Arfield | 7 |
Defoe | 7 |
closed | 6 |
*All competitions | |
Roofe, now 33 and without a club, has set the benchmark for an immediate contract at Ibrox, and new manager Danny Rolle is likely to be exploring a similar scenario this summer.
Rangers could have the upper hand in race to sign Premier League striker
Looking back at the 2020/21 season, Gerrard was blessed with a quartet of striking options, bringing in Roofe and Jermain Defoe to match Alfredo Morelos in the top nine, and also bringing in forgotten man Cedric Itten as a substitute.
Four years after his departure, Rangers’ £1.5m failure outweighs Chelmiti and Miovski
Failing to perform at Ibrox won’t necessarily be fatal to the Rangers striker’s career.
This kind of depth has started to emerge under Rohr, with the German overseeing the loan signing of compatriot Ryan Naderi after the club already spent money on Youssef Cermiti and Bojan Miovski over the summer.
The latter two particularly scored twice in Sunday’s 6-3 come-from-behind win over Falkirk, but both players remain a mixed bag and further reinforcements could be on the agenda at the end of the season.
As recently reported, there are claims that the Gers family could be looking to sign Joe Gerhart from Leeds United, with the English player currently on loan at Hull City.
The 23-year-old has scored 13 goals for the Tigers this season and with just one year left on his contract at Elland Road, he could be worth pursuing.
Similarly, the Ibrox side could have the upper hand in the race to sign Joel Pillow, another man from around Leeds. The Suriname international was on the radar of both Glasgow clubs in January.
According to Football Insider’s Keith Wyness, a deal for Pillow could be completed “easily” as Leeds and Rangers are both owned by 49ers Enterprises, and there is a sense that this could be an opportunity to take advantage of that connection.
The 49ers were already in the driver’s seat when Leeds signed the striker from Swansea City in 2023 and could secure a second deal, albeit this time at Ibrox.
Wyness said there was a “huge chance” the 26-year-old could cross the line, having not started a single Premier League game since August.
Why Piroue could be the new roof for Rangers
Gerrard plucked Roofe from Anderlecht in 2020, but before that the Jamaican international had mainly made a name for himself in English football, including with Gerhardt and Pillow’s current team Leeds.
After signing from Oxford United in 2016, the English-born marksman made 123 appearances for the Yorkshire side, scoring 33 goals, 29 of which came in the Championship over three seasons.
Injuries may have dampened the impact of his move to Glasgow, but he scored a memorable goal in the 2022 Europa League quarter-final against Braga, and his 38 goals in 102 games for Gers is no mean feat.
Like Roofe, Pillow has risen to prominence in England’s second tier in recent years, finishing last season as the Championship’s top scorer as Leeds secured promotion to the top flight.
The 19-goal tally comes after the former PSV Eindhoven man reached double figures in the previous three seasons in the Championship, two of which came with Swansea.
In 179 games at this level, the left-footed player has scored 73 goals, proving to be extremely lethal when given consistent game time. For comparison, Roof’s record in the division is 29 of 113 games.
That has yet to happen since Daniel Farke’s side secured promotion. Piroue scored once in four FA Cup games in 2025/26, but fell behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lucas Nmeka in the centre-forward pecking order.
Similarly, even on the bench, Falke is arguably the club’s “best finisher”, hailing the German as the best finisher of his career, further indicating the type of player who could head to Ibrox.
Of course, recent arrivals from south of the border, such as Joe Rothwell and Tom Lawrence, haven’t always delivered, but Pillow looks a class above him considering his previous Championship performance.
If a deal goes through, the Rangers could end up acquiring the next version of Roof for next season. Add Gerhardt to the mix, and the connection with the 49ers could be truly fruitful.
He wants to join Rangers: Ibrox officials could sign Moore upgrade for £5m
All eyes are on candidates to replace Mikey Moore at Ibrox.
