Glasgow Rangers’ Old Firm victory earlier this month was their first at Parkhead for nearly five years.
The 3-2 victory showed the Gers at their very best, being the first to every ball and creating chance after chance in the final third which saw them lead by two goals at the break. It’s safe to say Barry Ferguson has engineered a new found vigour at Ibrox.
While Celtic fought back in the second half, a screamer from Hamza Igamane with minutes left sealed the win and all three points for Ferguson’s side.
The key to winning the game was dominating the midfield, something Nico Raskin had done expertly against the runaway Premiership leaders.
It was reminiscent of Steven Davis at his very best. The Northern Irishman was arguably the last midfielder for the Ibrox side who had the capabilities to get the better of Celtic in the heart of the pitch.
Raskin has the potential to become a leader like Davis before him and his display at Parkhead might have given the supporters a glimpse of what the future holds for the recently caped Belgium international.
While the Gers might not see a player of Davis’ quality at the club anytime soon, having those in the squad who can go toe-to-toe with Celtic domestically might make all the difference next season.
How the new manager would love a younger version of the Irishman, however.
What made Steven Davis such a valuable asset to Rangers
The midfielder spent two separate spells with Rangers. The first being between 2008 and 2012, before he left to join Premier League side Southampton.
Arriving back in Glasgow midway through the 2018/19 season – initially on loan – saw Davis enjoy a second stint which lasted until he retired in January 2024, nearly a year after suffering a serious injury.
The first spell may have seen the Irishman win eight domestic honours, including three league titles and reaching the 2008 UEFA Cup final, but his influence on the team when he returned was excellent.
Rangers failed to win a trophy in the 18 months after Davis returned to Glasgow, but he was inspiring throughout the 2020/21 title-winning campaign.
He missed just three Premiership matches that season, helping the club go undefeated and he starred in four wins over Celtic, scoring a sublime acrobatic effort during the 2-0 Scottish Cup win.
In the league that season, Davis averaged an 89% pass success rate, while creating three big chances, providing two assists and averaging 81.7 touches per game.
Defensively, he was only dribbled past 0.7 times per game, while the midfielder won 3.6 of his total duels – a success rate of 56% – and made 1.3 interceptions per match.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2022/23
16
2
0
2021/22
33
1
1
2020/21
49
2
3
2019/20
43
1
3
2018/19
18
0
3
2011/12
39
5
14
2010/11
53
5
12
2009/10
50
4
16
2008/09
40
6
12
2007/08
25
1
6
Via Transfemarkt
Despite his advancing years, Davis was still capable of controlling games with his wonderful passing range and ability to protect the back four.
He reached another major European final during the 2021/22 season, but like in 2008, the Ballymena-born star couldn’t lead the Light Blues to victory, suffering a penalty shootout defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.
On Christmas Eve 2022, it was confirmed that Davis had suffered a season-ending knee injury, and it looked as though he might have played his final match for the club.
Raskin might just be the player who could step into the shoes of Davis, especially following his previous two Old Firm performances, securing the club successive wins in the fixture for the first time since August 2021.
Meet Rangers' new Steven Davis
The Belgian isn’t the only one capable of replicating the feats of Davis. Indeed, Bailey Rice is a talent who has a bright future in the professional game. Will he make the grade at Ibrox?
The midfielder moved to Rangers from Motherwell in the summer of 2022, rejecting the offer of a professional deal at the former.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
On the surface, it appeared to be a smart deal for the Gers. Rice was certainly one of the standout players in the Motherwell academy.
In February 2023, Rice became the second-youngest player to feature for the first team when he came on as a late substitute against Livingston in the Premiership. He was only 16 years, four months and 14 days old at the time, ranking behind only Derek Ferguson.
Since then, however, Rice has featured only seven times for the Gers across all competitions, with his development being handled rather conservatively by those in charge of the club.
The youngster began to gain more minutes for the first time at the start of 2025. He featured twice in the Scottish Cup, before coming on for the second half of the club’s 4-0 win over Ross County in the top flight.
His cameo against Manchester United in the Europa League was even praised by former defender Rio Ferdinand, who said of the Scottish midfielder: “I’ll tell you what. I like Rice. He’s come on and looking composed and that left foot looks like it has a bit in it. He’s seeing pictures, playing and executing. That is a wonderful pass.”
High praise indeed from a genuine legend of the game, and the 18-year-old has even made the recent step-up at international level too.
Having played 16 times for the U19 side, Rice was called up to the U21 squad for their most recent games, and he came off the bench in the 2-0 win over the Republic of Ireland on Friday evening.
This is just another step on the path to success for the talented midfielder. Ferguson must give him some more minutes between now and the end of the campaign.
Hailed as a player who has “huge potential” by Scottish content creator Kai Watson, Rice has all the tools in his locker to enjoy an excellent career in the game.
Could he be the player to finally fill Davis’ boots at Ibrox, however? Only time will tell. But if he manages to impress the new manager in pre-season, 2025/26 could be the most important in his young career to date.
Rangers can find their new Igamane in 17-year-old who's "making waves"
Rangers have a talented striker who is shining out on loan.
ByRoss KilvingtonMar 23, 2025