Kieran Dowell announcement that he is leaving Rangers now another significant issue for team…..

From seven points adrift of Celtic in the title race to two with a game in hand, Kieran Dowell has watched on as Rangers have turned from out-of-sorts also-rans to genuine Premiership contenders.

The difference since Philippe Clement took over from Micheal Beale has been stark with an away draw at Pittodrie the only Rangers dropped points under the Belgian to date.

Unfortunately for former Norwich midfielder Dowell, he’s not been able to play his part as Clement has made him wait for an opportunity to show his worth. The midfield is an area where Rangers are particularly strong when everybody is fit and it’s been a frustrating period for the 26-year-old who signed in the summer with the intention of becoming a mainstay in Michael Beale’s plans.

It’s not worked out that way and a combination of injury plus a change of shape under Clement has left him on the outside looking in for a sustained period. But a spate of injuries means that Dowell got his chance to shine in the 2-0 win against St Johnstone and he certainly didn’t look out of place. He strolled through the game with an excellent, man-of-the-match winning performance in a slightly deeper role than he’s been regularly accustomed to during a career that’s mostly seen him used as a creative forward.

“I really enjoyed it,” he said enthusiastically. “I had an inkling the day before I would be in the starting XI and I was really excited to be back, especially at Ibrox. I think the manager likes me as a player. The issue was just there were a few players ahead of me in the positions I like to play.

“Obviously, it came up the other night to put me into centre midfield, which I’m happy to do. The manager knows I can play there. It’s just been about being patient and waiting for my chance. Obviously, I’ve been training well and I’m glad I got through the 90 minutes.

“I’d like to think I could play back-to-back. I’ve been working hard in training, making sure I was fit so I can turn out the 90 minutes when called on. We have loads of games coming up so the squad is going to get stretched. We saw Dujon doing well at the weekend, so we have players who can play in those positions.

“The manager has said, every challenge the team has had, we’ve have gotten through it. It’s a testament to the squad.”