MARTYN Waghorn has studied the history of Rangers’ most successful strikers and now wants to take his place among them. Waghorn has admitted this has been a largely disappointing season but believes his long-term future still belongs at Ibrox. His determination is to become Rangers’ indisputable first-choice centre-forward in manager Pedro Caixinha’s system and believes he has all the tools to score 25 goals a season in such a set-up.
“I've looked into the history of Rangers' number nines and I want to emulate them,” he said. “When I first arrived I was hugely excited about coming to a club like this. I looked back at what other strikers had achieved here in terms of goals. I looked at the tallies and the averages. That's what I do as a striker, I compare myself.
“The guys I looked at were people like Kris Boyd who scored a lot of goals over a number of years here. Before him, legends like Ally McCoist obviously did the same. You don't need me to name them all. But they've all been focal points for the attack here – you know they'll score goals for you. At a big club like this it's important to have someone in place like that. Hopefully I can emulate these guys.
“At this level you need to score more than 25 goals in the Premiership to really nail down that number nine striker role. Unfortunately I've played wide and I've played just off the striker, and it's been hard at times. You need games and chances to score goals. Now playing through the middle again, I feel I'm getting that fluidity again.”
The 27-year-old has been linked with a move back down south in the summer but insists that is not in his thoughts. Instead he hopes talks can begin with a view to extending his deal that runs out in the summer of 2018.
“I've never thought about leaving,” he said. “At the point when there were rumours about falling out with the manager I had 18 months left on my contract. I was just desperate to get back in the side and stay there because I know what I can offer this team.
“It has never once crossed my mind to chuck the towel in here. I've still got a lot to prove at Rangers. I've got more trophies to win in my career and I want to do it here. I've said that since I signed for Rangers. I want to play in big games and win silverware. I feel I'm at a good stage in my career where I can really kick on at this club.
“To do it you need to be here for a while and my focus is now to be here long-term, of course it is. I'm really happy at Rangers, my family is all settled. I'm going into my final year so it's up to the board but I don't want to go anywhere.”
- Martyn Waghorn was promoting Rangers’ Easter Soccer Camps for children aged 5-14. To book a place or for further information phone 0141 580 8819 or email soccerschools@rangers.co.uk
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