The Durban-born Bafana Bafana central defender has made instant impact in Scotland after his €3.5-million move from Major League Soccer (MLS) side Philadelphia Union.

The Scottish Premiership Player of the Month has further impressed Ross, who believes Makhanya is Rangers’ best signing this season.

Speaking on the SNN Sports Podcast, Ross singled out Makhanya saying he could surpass the traditional pathway followed by some of Europe’s top defenders.

Ross feels Makhanya’s stellar displays at Ibrox will naturally open the door to an even bigger move. He used former Celtic defender Virgil Van Dijk as an example.

“Makhanya [is the best signing they made]. When you do well at a Rangers or Celtic at that level, like [Virgil] Van Dijk, you have to have an intermediate move to then crack on at the big moves, like Liverpool etc,” he said.

However, Ross believes the South African might not necessarily need an intermediate destination before joining one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The former Rangers player was particularly impressed by Makhanya’s athleticism, composure and natural appetite for defending.

Rather than simply praising his performances, Ross highlighted the qualities that could make him an exceptional centre-back at the highest level.

“I think Makhanya has it in him, I think he can go straight to the top. He’s just athletic, calm on the ball, he likes to defend, he loves to be a defender,” he added.

BETTER THAN FORMER NEWCASTLE STAR

Perhaps the biggest compliment came when Ross compared the Bafana Bafana star to former France international Jean-Alain Boumsong.

Boumsong previously represented Rangers before securing a move to Newcastle United in a mammoth €11.30-million transfer more than a decade ago.

However, Ross believes Makhanya has even greater potential than the former Ibrox defender. “I think he’s better than Boumsong, who ended up at Newcastle,” Ross concluded.

Meanwhile, the former Marumo Gallants and Stellenbosch FC star has made Bafana Bafana’s latest squad to face Kenya in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers this month.