Peter McCloy: Rangers need rival for Cammy Bell

RANGERS legend Peter McCloy insists Mark Warburton must go out and sign a top class keeper to fight with Cammy Bell for the No 1 jersey.

Cammy Bell needs competition. Picture: SNS Group

Bell suffered a disastrous end to the season when he punched Marvin Johnson’s deflected shot into his own net to ensure Rangers had no chance of retrieving the Premiership Play-off Final against Motherwell.

McCloy, who starred with Rangers in 1970s and early 1980s, believes Bell can fully recover to be a top keeper again. But the “Girvan Lighthouse” says Bell must have a serious challenge for the gloves in what will be a massive first season for the new management duo of Mark 
Warburton and Davie Weir.

McCloy, who played 533 games and won 11 major honours with Rangers, said: “The club must go out and get another goalkeeper to give him a challenge for the No 1 spot – not just a back-up.

Cammy Bell needs competition. Picture: SNS Group

“I had great competition throughout my career with Stewart Kennedy, Jim Stewart and Nicky Walker and it doesn’t do you any harm. I hope the club have someone in mind who will fight tooth and nail for that jersey. Rangers have released the other two keepers Steve Simonsen and Lee Robinson and they have to get another one in soon.

“There is a really big season coming up as Rangers try to get back to the Premiership and the goalkeeper has to be a commanding figure.”

McCloy cringed when he watched Bell fumble at Fir Park because he knows how hard it is to come back from a howler when you play for either side of the Old Firm. He said: “When you make a mistake like that you want to get out and play again as quickly as you can but, of course, Cammy couldn’t do that as it was the last game of the season.

“I think he just lost his bearings and his footwork wasn’t so good but he shouldn’t be hung out to dry for one mistake.

“Cammy got caught up in things a little bit in the final part of the season and he wasn’t commanding the box the way he should have been doing and he has got to get back to doing that.

“I think his confidence dipped a wee bit through one or two things that happened but once he gets back working with Jim Stewart he can get that back again.”