Jermain Defoe says Alfredo Morelos is a natural like Harry Kane

Jermain Defoe says his Rangers team-mate Alfredo Morelos has a gift for goalscoring that reminds him of Harry Kane.
Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos celebrates scoring against Kilmarnock. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNSRangers striker Alfredo Morelos celebrates scoring against Kilmarnock. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS
Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos celebrates scoring against Kilmarnock. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS

The 36-year-old striker has found his opportunities to make a serious impact since his much-heralded loan move from Bournemouth in January restricted by the midas-touch Morelos has exhibited in the penalty box.

The 22-year-old Colombian’s sixth sense for finding the net has taken his tally for the season to 27 and is on course to become only the second Ibrox player in the past two decades to break the 30-goal mark – Kris Boyd, in 2008-09, the only other to have done so.

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Defoe believes that in Morelos – who scored four times against Kilmarnock on Wednesday – Rangers have a player with the same natural finishing gifts he witnessed when at Tottenham Hotspur playing with the young Kane.

And the veteran believes that Morelos would have no issue with translating his scoring exploits to the English 
Premier League.

“As a Rangers player, all the fans and the club would want him to stay here as long as 
possible. We want to go and win trophies,” said Defoe.

“But, of course, as players you are ambitious. You want to play in every league and compete against the best. If you are asking me if he is good enough to play in the Premier League, of course. I believe that if he played in the Premier League, he would score goals. I don’t think anything would change. He is a natural goalscorer.

“I remember at Tottenham, when we had Harry Kane as a youngster, he went out on loan to different clubs. I remember saying to one of the players that I believed he should play more and that, at some point, he would go on to score a lot of goals for this football club. What he has done is unbelievable. I think Alfredo’s got that. He’s a goalscorer. When you’re a goalscorer, you score goals at any level in any league.”

Defoe will hope that is true for him in a Scottish context. Despite having found the net three times in seven appearances, the perception is of a player still adjusting to new surroundings – and new surfaces. The trip to Hamilton Accies tomorrow for Steven Gerrard’s men will provide Defoe with a fourth plastic pitch to play on in little over a month.

The game up north is 
certainly “different” acknowledges the former England striker,

“It’s been interesting, it’s not been easy, to be honest,” he said, joking about the “hundred penalties” he has witnessed. “You can’t think ‘I’ve played in the Premier League, I’m coming to Scotland and it’s going to be easy.’ You still have to approach it like you always have done.

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“I’m just taking it all in; the plastic pitches, away from home, the different games, how teams play. I’m still getting used to it.

“But I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve managed to nick a few goals. For me the most important thing is to be successful. For me it’s about the team.”