Steven Gerrard has to give Borna Barisic the responsibility for all Rangers set pieces next season because his left foot is as good as Lionel Messi's, says his former manager.
The Ibrox side's season is petering out with a whimper after their Old Firm defeat leaves them 13 points behind their bitter Glasgow rivals Celtic.
Gerrard was unable to utilise Barisic's skills on Sunday as he picked up an injury on international duty with Croatia, something which infuriated his club boss.
But Davor Rupnik, former Osijek manager and self-proclaimed mentor of Barisic, believes Gerrard is missing a trick by not getting the left-back to take all their set pieces.
Rupnik's relationship with Barisic stretches back many years as he explained: "I've known him for years - in fact, I actually persuaded him not to give up on football when he injured his knee when he was just a kid.
"His reward for not quitting that day was a transfer to Rangers in the summer.
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The ex-Osijek boss is a massive fan of Barisic's footballing talents but believes these are not being used correctly by Gerrard.
He said: "Borna is now our best option at left back for Croatia.
"Steven Gerrard has made a lot of progress with him, but he's not using his skills properly.
"Many people don't know he is a superb free kick and set piece taker. He has a left foot like Lionel Messi.
And Rupnik reckons Rangers are just a stepping stone for the Croation international.
He said: "He has improved massively and he is also an exceptionally hard worker. He used to ask for extra gym work in the evening after training.
"I see him ending up at one of the top five leagues in Europe, probably the English Premier League. Rangers are a step on his journey."
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