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Thu 5 October 2017 17:53, UK

By James Black

Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha expects Declan John to continue improving after throwing the defender in at left-back in recent fixtures.

Caixinha has surprisingly admitted he has had to teach the defender to play the role, even though has previously played there at parent club Cardiff, but is confident he can only keep getting better as he works at it more.

Injury to Lee Wallace has given an opportunity for John to fill in at left-back and the 22-year-old has impressed in his limited appearances so far.

John started against Hamilton in the Glaswegian giants’ last outing and helped himself to a double as the Gers came back from a goal down to win 4-1.

Caixinha believes John’s willingness to get forward can help both team and player over the coming months.

“Declan is a player that was never coached how to play as a left back, so he did it a couple of times with us and he did it very well, because we are a team that likes to attack and likes to have the full-backs go up and attack, so he can give us that,” Caixinha said, as quoted by The Scotsman.

“We will try to coach him a little bit more now, not only to defend the wide area but the relation with the winger in front of him, the midfielder on his side and also the centre-half from his side.

“He needs to know those relations and which space he needs to cover when he is defending, but he is also a player who can play as a winger.

“He can provide us with those sort of approaches on the game and even for example if in one special game, at any stage of the game, we need to play with three on the back, he can be the one that is full-back and winger at the same time.”

John moved north of the border on a loan deal until January from Cardiff and will no doubt be hoping to impress Caixinha enough for the Gers boss to extend his stay in Glasgow, or to potentially impress Neil Warnock enough to call him back into his side in South Wales.

The Welshman will also be hoping to impress Wales boss Chris Coleman ahead of next summer’s World Cup in Russia.

The Gers return to action next Friday when they travel to Perth to face St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.