You’re probably thinking ‘another clickbait Rangers article’ but nope, this isn’t one of them. John Souttar hasn’t only been unlucky with injuries this season, he’s been unlucky all throughout his career so far.
He literally has every attribute you could want in a modern day centre back. He’s physically strong and aggressive going into tackles and in the air. He’s incredibly comfortable on the ball and will drive forward with it until he sees a better passing option. He has an excellent range of passing and continually looks to drive his passes through the lines.
He’s old school in that he’ll put his body on the line for the team. He’s then modern because he can come out with the ball and pick out a pass to drive the team forward. He has it all, he’s also quicker than he looks when it comes to covering the ground. If injuries hadn’t impacted his career so much, he’d be playing at the very top.
The only thing Connor Goldson and Ben Davies have over him is that their long passing numbers are better. Both of them do attempt a lot more long passes in a game, because Souttar prefers the shorter passes through the lines.
His aggressiveness is what sets him apart from the other two first team centre backs. He’s physically imposing and add the aggression to that he’s a nightmare for strikers.
If I was a striker I’d rather be playing against Davies or Goldson. Both great defenders but lack that aggressiveness of being on the forwards immediately and both are less physically imposing than Souttar.
He’s dominant in the air, winning 78% of aerial duels on 3.2 per game. Goldson wins 63% on 2.6 and Davies wins 65% on 2.4 per game. Incredible numbers from Souttar and shows his aerial dominance perfectly.
Another thing to remember is that he’s only played 9 SPFL games this season. He was out for well over six months and is still getting fully up to speed. If he can be this good defensively and with the ball when he’s still not 100% then imagine how good he’ll be at the start of next season.
John Souttar is the ideal modern day centre back for a club like Rangers. Strong on the ball and off it, how do you rate him? Where does he rank in terms of the three first team centre backs for you?