Middlesbrough manager Chris Wilder admits he ‘thought about’ trying to sign former Sheffield United ace John Lundstram from Rangers in the January transfer window, speaking to The Mail.
Who saw this coming?
As Lundstram tumbled down the pecking order before Christmas – playing just 11 minutes of football across five league fixtures in the autumn – it seemed that a return to England really was on the cards for a man struggling to live up to expectations on Ibrox.
So few, at the time, would have expected to see Lundstram rattle a brilliant, first-time shot into the back of Borussia Dortmund’s net a few weeks later, putting Rangers 3-1 up at the Signal Iduna Park.
Lundstram is belatedly starting to produce the sort of performances that once made him a Premier League regular under Wilder at Sheffield United; The belligerent, box-to-box dynamo at the heart of that coupon-busting, Chelsea-thumping Blades side from 2019/20.
“I thought about going for John again in January when he wasn’t playing,” explains Wilder, who is now in the midst of turning Middlesbrough into a promotion-chasing force.
“There would have been many admirers down here trying to get him back. But he’s been patient. He’s back in the team and both John and Rangers are getting the rewards now.
“I watched his goal against Dortmund and it was brilliant. I messaged John after the game because he’s such a good lad.”
Does John Lundstram have a big future at Rangers?
Lundstram recently started five league games in a row for the first time since September/October.
His versatility and tactical intelligence have come in very handy too, dropping into centre-half at times under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
“Going to a club like Rangers is the ultimate test in such a pressurised situation,” Wilder adds. “But I’m not surprised that he’s now doing well. He’s athletic, a good passer and a real modern-day footballer.
“At Rangers the expectation is to hit the ground running. When that doesn’t happen and you’re out of the team it can be difficult for a new player.
“But John is now getting a run, like he did with us, and he feels like a big part of it. That’s why you’re seeing the best of him.
“It was very similar when he came to Sheffield United.”
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