Former boss rates Rangers star Alfredo Morelos

“Alfredo came to our hotel to see us and it was good to see him. We have kept in touch and I have been following his career since he moved to Scotland.

“I always thought he would do well here because he is a really good player - but you can never be sure how things are going to turn out for anyone when they move on.

“He is ready for bigger things if he wants them - it depends on what he wants to do.”

Many ‘Gers fans would not welcome the Finn’s opinion that the Columbian striker may see his future in the Premier League.

“He could play in England - he has improved a lot in the last two years since he moved to Rangers. He is more mature and has really grown up. Sometimes he can get frustrated - but that is the way he is.

“I always felt the British game was perfect for him because he is just so strong and aggressive. He had everything you needed to be a top player.

“He has fantastic movement and when he faces up to opponents, he can take them on in a number of different ways. He can shoot from close in or from distance so he is always a threat to teams.

“It isn’t easy to push him off the ball when he is on it and defenders struggle to dispossess him because he is so powerful. He has everything you want from a top striker - now it’s up to him to continue that.

“He can go to the very top of the game if he wants to. Sometimes he plays on the edge - he is playing in a more competitive league now than he was in Finland and you can see how much he has improved.”

The Helsinki Boss was quick to defend Alfredo’s disciplinary record in Finland.

“We didn’t have many issues with him as a player - he was just a young boy of 19 when he came to Finland.

“It was the first time he had played in Europe. He had to learn how to be a top professional footballer.”