Former Rangers defender Maurice Ross has made a big prediction about South African defender Olwethu Makhanya, backing the 22-year-old to reach the highest level of European football. Ross believes the young centre-back has the qualities needed to become one of the top defenders in the game and could eventually secure a move to one of Europe's biggest clubs.

Makhanya has enjoyed an impressive start to life at Rangers since completing a €3.5-million transfer from Major League Soccer side Philadelphia Union. The former Stellenbosch FC defender has quickly attracted attention in Scotland with his performances, and his development has already impressed people who have followed the club for many years.

Ross, who previously represented Rangers, believes Makhanya could become one of the most important signings made under the club's new head coach, Derke McInnes. The former defender was particularly impressed by the South African's physical qualities, composure and attitude towards defending.

Speaking on the SNN Sports Podcast, Ross identified Makhanya as the best signing Rangers have made under McInnes. He also compared the defender's potential career pathway to that of former Celtic star Virgil van Dijk, who went on to establish himself among the leading centre-backs in world football.

Ross explained that players who perform well at clubs such as Rangers and Celtic often need to take another step before securing moves to Europe's biggest teams. Van Dijk, for example, progressed through different clubs before eventually joining Liverpool, where he became one of the most respected defenders in the Premier League.

However, Ross believes Makhanya could be different and may not need to follow exactly the same route to reach the top level.

"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," Ross said.

The former Rangers defender went further by suggesting that Makhanya has the ability to move directly to one of Europe's elite clubs if he continues developing at his current rate.

"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.

Ross also brought another former Rangers player into the discussion when comparing Makhanya with Jean-Alain Boumsong. The former France international defender enjoyed a spell at Ibrox before securing a move to Newcastle United in a transfer reportedly worth €11.30 million.

Despite Boumsong's reputation and the transfer he secured, Ross believes the South African has even greater qualities.

"I think he's better than Boumsong, who ended up at Newcastle," he concluded.

The comments represent significant praise for Makhanya, particularly coming from someone who previously played for Rangers and understands the demands of performing at the club.

For the young South African, the immediate challenge will be to maintain his performances and establish himself as a regular and reliable figure in the Rangers defence. At just 22, he still has considerable time to develop, and consistent displays in Scotland could open the door to bigger opportunities in European football.

His progress will also be encouraging for South African football, with another young defender showing that local talent can make an impact beyond the Premier Soccer League.

Source: IDiskiTimes