- 24-year-old has been voted in Premiership Team of the Year
- The Nigerian has scored five goals for Rangers this season
- Defender has come on leaps and bounds under Danny Rohl
Rangers defender Manny Fernandez has been selected in PFA Scotland’s Scottish Premiership Team of the Year
The 24-year-old, who is the only player to represent Rangers in the selection has earned deserved recognition for his performances under Danny Rohl.
Fernandez has scored five goals for the Gers this season and has become a regular with seven starts in the last eight matches.
Here are three games where the Nigerian has shone in his Rangers career thus far.
His first league goal for Rangers against Livingston
Fernandez struggled for game time during Russell Martin’s short-lived tenure having made only one league appearance, which was the underwhelming 1-1 draw away to St Mirren in August.
However, when Danny Rohl arrived, he selected the defender for his second league match at Ibrox as manager.
And the Nigerian would make an immediate impact scoring his first league goal as a Rangers player in the ninth minute.
The result made it four successive league wins under the German and was an early sign of the confidence growing not just in the whole team but crucially, Fernandez.
Firing Rangers into third place in the victory over Hibs
Fast forward a month to December and Rangers knew that victory against David Gray’s men would see them climb into third.
Victory was required if the Gers were to have any chance of challenging for the title, with Hearts miles ahead at the top of the table.
The player who would provide the goods was Fernandez, who powered a strong header into the net in what was his seventh consecutive start under Rohl.
And not only did the Nigerian send Rangers another step closer to the position they are in now but he signalled his growing influence and presence in the starting line-up.
Standout performance in Old Firm Scottish Cup quarter-final
Fernandez played the entire 120 minutes of the Scottish Cup quarter-final against Celtic at Ibrox.
And despite the Gers losing out on penalties, the Nigerian was crucial in maintaining a strong defence and nullifying any attacking threat from Celtic.
The Nigerian hit the target in extra time and thought he had won the tie only for it to be disallowed.
Despite that, Fernandez’s performance in a high-pressure match and to remain on the pitch for 90-plus minutes highlights how much he has grown from a player low in confidence to thriving under Danny Rohl.
