Ex-Rangers Star Olwethu Makhanya Draws Strong Parallels Between Himself and Robin van Dijk, Rallying Support for Liverpool Transfer

Former Rangers defender Maurice Ross has given young centre-back Olwethu Makhanya a huge thumbs up, saying that he has what it takes to play at the highest level of European football.

Fans and football analysts alike are eagerly anticipating Makhanya's development after he garnered a great deal of attention for his outstanding performances for Rangers, a Scottish powerhouse.

During the 2026 transfer window, Rangers bolstered their defensive options by signing the 22-year-old defender from Major League Soccer club Philadelphia Union to a long-term deal. He made the move to Ibrox.

Despite the many obstacles he faced, Makhanya has quickly proven to the club that they were wise to sign him, especially considering the move to Scottish football.

He is a promising youngster because of his power, poise, defensive awareness, and ability to construct offensive plays from the back.

Ross, who played for Rangers, thinks the South African could follow in Virgil van Dijk's footsteps as a Liverpool defender.

The former Scotland international cited the Dutchman's time spent playing football in Scotland as proof that gifted players can mature into elite players in Europe.

Before signing with Premier League club Southampton in 2015, Van Dijk played for Celtic. A highly publicised transfer from Southampton to Liverpool followed, and he went on to become one of the best defenders in the world after that.

Instead of hurrying into a transfer to a major club in Europe, Ross thinks Makhanya would be better off following a similar trajectory.

According to Ross, "when you do well at a Rangers or Celtic at that level, like [Virgil] Van Dijk," it's necessary to have an intermediate move before tackling the big moves, like Liverpool, etc.

The young defender could benefit greatly from the exposure and experience that Rangers could offer, according to his evaluation, which would pave the way for him to compete at an even higher level in the future.

Because Van Dijk's story shows how consistently good play in Scotland can lead to opportunities in the English Premier League, the comparison is especially inspiring for football fans in South Africa.

It is clear that Makhanya has what it takes to pursue a successful career path; he has already demonstrated this.

The defender started his professional career in the Premier Soccer League with Stellenbosch FC before moving on to Rangers.

After a while, he was able to earn a transfer to the Philadelphia Union of the US, where he played in Major League Soccer and got some great experience.

The demands of playing football in Europe were well-prepared for by that experience.

While adjusting to the physical demands and high expectations of playing for one of Scotland's most prestigious clubs, Rangers has allowed him to further hone his defensive skills.

His play has elevated his profile in South Africa, and Bafana Bafana has benefited from losing a talented defender to international competition.

Source:

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