Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Liam Bryce

Who is Danilho Doekhi? Rangers transfer attributes and an epic battle with Gio van Bronckhorst's Feyenoord profiled

There's been much to like about Giovanni van Bronckhorst 's Rangers thus far, so the manager's first transfer window was always bound to be an intriguing one.

The arrival of James Sands from New York City kicked off their January business but there could yet be more to come.

Uncertainty over Connor Goldson 's future has been rumbling on since the summer and with no resolution in sight, it's no surprise the Premiership champions are now considering other options.

Danilho Doekhi has been linked Rangers long before Goldson's contract became the issue of the day, but it could now be the catalyst for the club to make a move.

Danilho Doekhi of Vitesse Arnhem is being chased by Rangers (Getty Images)

It's been reported Rangers are ready to make a pre-contract offer to the 23-year-old Vitesse Arnhem captain, while there's also interest in Hearts' John Souttar.

Doekhi is considering his future as his contract at Vitesse runs down to a conclusion at the end of May.

Here's what he's all about.

Who is Danilho Doekhi?

Born in Rotterdam, Doekhi was a graduate of hometown club Excelsior's academy before moving to Ajax's B team in 2016, following one senior appearance.

He made 35 appearances across two seasons in the Eerste Divisie, the Netherlands' second tier, before joining Vitesse, for whom he quickly became a regular.

Doekhi was named captain shortly after his 23rd birthday during and has again been a key player for the team ranked fourth in this season's Eredivisie.

He has also represented the Netherlands from U-18 to U-21 level.

What kind of player is he?

In a thoroughly unsurprising revelation given his stature and physicality, Doekhi is an aggressive defender who appears to relish contesting duels and defending one v one.

Right-footed, he has typically been deployed as the right centre-back in a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 shape.

Doekhi typically wins a high proportion of challenges - 71 per cent, according to Instat.

On average, he makes six aerial challenges per game, winning 68 per cent.

Interestingly, and perhaps of particular relevance to Rangers, he has averaged 1.86 ball recoveries in the opponent's half, which is more than Goldson at 0.71.

With Rangers tending to press high in matches, it points to a player who is both willing and adept at defending high up the pitch.

Rangers fans could cast their mind back to having almost all their outfield players camped in St Mirren's defensive third during the pre-Christmas win at Ibrox and conclude Doekhi would be a potential asset in such matches.

And despite his aggressive style, the Dutchman collects a relatively low number of bookings, picking up only three this season.

On the ball, his 0.38 key passes per game are significantly less than Goldson's 0.74. In fairness, Goldson's raking cross-field passes are an exception, rather than the norm for most centre-backs.

With only two senior strikes to his name, Doekhi's goal return could also be improved.

What has he said about a transfer?

Doekhi has been rather effusive when probed about the prospect of joining Rangers.

He described interest from Ibrox and Napoli as "very beautiful" - although added the potentially crucial caveat that he would prefer to make his next move in the coming summer, not in the middle of a campaign.

"I am the type of defender, for which there is less attention in the Netherlands," he told gelderlander.nl.

"The Dutch are into attacking football. Joga Bonito. It doesn't bother me. My style now brings me here.

"Of course I get the stories of Napoli and Rangers. I am flattered. Scotland is passion. In Italy you really learn how to defend yourself.

"Both are very beautiful.”

On moving in January, he added: “That's just how football works. A winter transfer is not ideal. You get in somewhere halfway. But if an opportunity comes up, I shouldn't let it go."

Has he crossed paths with Van Bronckhorst?

Why, yes! While Doekhi is clearly a long-term target for Rangers under sporting director Ross Wilson, the new manager has some first-hand experience upon which to base his pursuit.

They met while Van Bronckhorst was manager of Feyenoord from 2015 to 2019.

Doekhi was at the heart of one of the more memorable matches of his tenure in September 2018.

Robin van Persie fired home a quite stunning free-kick winner for Van Bronckhorst's side in front of a rocking De Kuip, only to be shown a straight red for a heavy challenge minutes later.

Van Persie was quickly followed down the tunnel by Doekhi, who upended Yassin Ayoub near the halfway to pick up a second yellow card.

It clearly hasn't soured Van Bronckhorst on the player, however, and neither it should.

Given they could snap him up for free, his well-suited attributes and some extensive experience in the Eredivisie, Doekhi has the potential to be a real bargain acquisition.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.