Naderi scores twice for Rangers as Scotland praises Czech striker

Czech striker Ryan Naderi keeps surprising Scotland: against Kilmarnock he scored twice, and Rangers manager McInnes called him exactly the goalscorer the club needs. Both of Naderi's goals came in the first half.

A double and the manager's praise

He scored the first with a close-range header in the 15th minute and added the second just before the break, again from a cross from the left: the ball went into the Kilmarnock net off his shoulder.

“I feel that if we put the ball into the box, Ryan scores. He is a big threat for opponents: with his persistence and his ability to score, he keeps them under pressure,” McInnes said. According to him, Naderi is “an honest lad” who does not always create chances himself and needs accurate passes from his teammates, and now he is getting them. The manager was also pleased about the player's call-up to the Czech national team: “We need a forward who will score regularly. He is on the right track.”

A great autumn in numbers

German-born, with a Czech mother and a Bulgarian father, he is having a superb autumn. He has scored in three of the last four league matches, including the derby against the club's arch-rival Celtic, where he decided the game with his goal.

In the current Scottish league season Naderi has 4 goals and an assist. He has added two more goals and two assists in the League Cup and in Conference League qualifying. He also scored in his debut for the Czech national team in the Nations League, beating Spain's David Raya, but the goal was disallowed because of a preceding foul by Lukáš Červ.

British media have also praised Naderi for the Kilmarnock game: the Ibrox News website, which follows Rangers closely, gave him the top mark of 10, while Sky Sports writes that he could soon become a key figure at the club.

A profitable winter deal

Rangers are already rubbing their hands over a successful transfer: the club paid Hansa Rostock €5.5 million (about CZK 135 million) for Naderi. If the Czech striker keeps up his current form, his market value will soon approach €10 million (about CZK 246 million).

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz