Glasgow Rangers currently find themselves in uncharted territory as they sit at the summit of the Scottish Premiership table.
Following a 3-0 win over St Johnstone a couple of weeks ago, the Light Blues claimed top spot from Celtic and it marked the first time since August 2022 that the club had sat atop the table.
A 5-0 rout of Hearts at the weekend – as well as Wednesday's hard-fought win over Kilmarnock – has maintained their two-point advantage and every Premiership clash is now a cup final as the Gers aim for their first league title since 2021.
Philippe Clement’s January transfer business could potentially be the catalyst in the club’s pursuit of glory as all three signings have made a positive impact thus far.
It marks a stark change from just a few months ago when growing resentment was setting in during the dying embers of Michael Beale’s reign, as several poor transfers looked like setting the Glasgow side back.
He was not the first manager to sign talented players who have failed to live up to the hype since joining the Ibrox side, as a succession of bosses before him all made similar mistakes.
Mark Warburton was arguably one of the worst culprits, with one of his signings for the club even being compared to former Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
Jordan Rossiter's record at Liverpool
Jordan Rossiter began making waves through the Liverpool academy as a youngster and his talent was clearly obvious to all who watched him play.
The Englishman played 35 times for the U21, U18 and Youth League teams as he was building his reputation, scoring four times and grabbing four assists and this promise meant he was given his debut by Brendan Rodgers in a League Cup clash against Middlesbrough in September 2014.
Rossiter made an immediate impression, scoring the only Liverpool goal of the game, although that was his only senior appearance for the Anfield side that term, making the matchday squad in the Premier League only once before an ankle injury ended his campaign.
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler had previously delivered high praise for the talented midfielder, hailing him as “potentially a young Stevie G” back in 2013, but the truth is, he failed to hit such heights at the Reds.
The following season saw Rossiter make four senior appearances for the club, but more injury issues meant he failed to really show Jürgen Klopp his talents on a consistent basis, and it would prove to be his final season on Merseyside.
Jordan Rossiter's time at Rangers in numbers
Following four years in the lower leagues, Rangers romped to the Championship title during the 2015/16 season under Warburton, also claiming the Challenge Cup and reaching the Scottish Cup final.
Towards the end of the season, it was announced that Rossiter had signed a pre-contract agreement with the Gers to join that summer ahead of the 2016/17 season, and it looked like a wonderful investment.
They only had to pay a compensation fee of £250k to Liverpool and while injury problems had blighted his young career up until that point, Warburton clearly saw plenty of potential that he could move on from there and establish himself in Glasgow.
It did not take long for his poor injury record to rear its head, however. After making six appearances during the first few weeks of the season, the former Anfield starlet suffered a serious calf injury which ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
Things got worse, rather than better, as the youngster made just five appearances the following campaign, again being hampered by a calf injury, while his appearances were limited to just five again under the player he was compared to during his academy days – Gerrard.
Loan spells at Bury and Fleetwood Town between January 2019 and May 2020 saw him make 36 appearances, and he finally looked injury-free, but Gerrard had bolstered his side by that point and Rossiter was always going to struggle to secure a regular place in the team.
What Jordan Rossiter has done since leaving Rangers
The former teenage sensation moved to Fleetwood permanently on a one-year deal in the summer of 2020, before joining his current side, Bristol Rovers, in 2022.
The 26-year-old made 21 appearances in his debut season for the club, before he suffered yet more injury problems.
Throughout his spell at Rangers, Rossiter missed a staggering 94 matches across just three seasons due to the aforementioned calf injuries, and he has failed to feature for Bristol Rovers so far during the 2023/24 campaign.
Rovers currently play in League One and judging by his statistics from last term, moving him on in 2020 looked like a decent bit of business.
The midfielder only averaged a 72% pass success rate per game in the third tier last season, while creating zero big chances, making 0.5 key passes per game and losing possession 9.6 times per match, indicating that he was hardly impressing despite dropping a couple of levels.
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It is always a shame to see a hugely talented player lose their way after plenty of buildup regarding their abilities, even worse so when it is factors out of their control, such as injury problems.
Who knows how good Rossiter might have been if he had stayed fit between 2014 and 2020? Could he have played a key part in Gerrard’s Rangers side which went on to secure their first league title in a decade during 2020/21?
2022/23
21
0
2021/22
10
0
2020/21
36
1
2019/20
19
0
2018/19
22
1
2017/18
5
1
2016/17
6
0
2015/16
4
0
He certainly had the required qualities to be a success at Ibrox, yet failing to secure a consistent run of matches proved to be his ultimate downfall, and now he is currently struggling to adapt to League One football.
Warburton clearly saw plenty of future potential in the 5 foot 10 starlet eight years ago, but four years later, his failure to establish himself in the first team meant the Light Blues had fumbled with the transfer.
The Englishman has arguably yet to hit his peak, but will his constant injury battles mean this may never happen? Only time will tell.