John Lundstram top player 'switch' revealed as Rangers team-mate eyes iconic fans' song

John Lundstram’s rise from squad player to Rangers fan favourite is a path James Sands would love to follow.

Immortalised in song at Ibrox with Belinda Carlisle’s ‘Heaven is a place on Earth’, Lundstram’s midfield displays and Europa League semi-final winner won the hearts – and voices – of the Rangers crowd who had taken time to warm to the ‘silky Scouser’.

Now settled into Glasgow and a firm fixture in Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side, there are parallels with Sands’ start to city life beyond their versatility in defence and midfield where the Englishman has set the example of what can be achieved with patience – and then performances.

“He is quite the player to learn from. Even from the bench, seeing how he handles the game, he is very calm and he has that switch when he is off the ball that all the top players have,” explained Sands. “I certainly wouldn’t want to play against him.

"I think he is a great example of how things take time as well. The first half of the season he wasn’t in the squad much and now he has been the most important player.

"I think that is a good lesson for me to take away as well.”

The catchy chorus is not only a sign of a growing affection – but recognition of recent displays that have prompted fans to laud his name as ‘the best on earth’.

"There are a couple of good ones,” added Sands. “Diallo has a good one, and Fashion, of course. I would love to have a song. I have got to put in some performances before that.”