'I've proved it already' - Kemar Roofe shrugs off Alfredo Morelos question after slaying St Mirren with hat-trick

Kemar Roofe insists he has nothing to prove as he looks to fill the void left at Rangers by the injury which has sidelined Alfredo Morelos for the rest of the season.

Kemar Roofe (right) celebrates with Fashion Sakala after completing his hat-trick in Rangers' 4-0 win at St Mirren on Sunday. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

Roofe scored his first hat-trick for the Ibrox club as they defeated St Mirren 4-0 in Paisley on Sunday to cut the gap on Celtic in the Premiership title race to six points with five rounds of fixtures remaining.

It takes the Jamaican international striker’s goal tally for the season to 15 and he will be a key figure for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side as they try to win silverware without top scorer and talisman Morelos who had to undergo season-ending surgery on a thigh injury.

Roofe, who joined Rangers from Anderlecht in a £3.5 million deal in the summer of 2020, feels under no addition pressure to show he can compensate for the absence of Morelos.

"I think I have proved it already,” said Roofe. “Regardless of today or the last game. I have been here for nearly two years and I feel that I have proved this already.”

Roofe made the breakthrough inside the first two minutes against St Mirren as Rangers returned to winning ways after consecutive defeats at home to Celtic last Sunday and in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final in Braga on Thursday.

“We came for the three points and we got it,” he said. “It was a difficult game. The pitch is a fast pitch, a bit bobbly, but we managed it well. We knew St Mirren would put up a good fight but we managed to break them down and get the goals.

“It helps the game if you can get off the mark early and it calms the nerves a bit as well around the ground.

“The second goal is massively important as well. That will decide the momentum of the game. We had to make a few changes at half-time and throughout the game but we kept the high level and kept scoring.”

Roofe says Rangers are ready for a huge at Ibrox on Thursday when they bid to overturn the 1-0 first leg deficit against Braga.

“Again, it is a must win,” he added. “We need to build on this and we need to win at all costs.”

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