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Alex Rae picked out Rangers defender Leon Balogun for huge praise after his recent performance for the Scottish giants.

The Gers are currently preparing to face Dundee United tomorrow afternoon, but the league fixture comes in-between a huge two-legged Europa League tie against Royal Antwerp.

Steven Gerrard’s side produced a remarkable performance in the first leg on Thursday, winning by a 4-3 scoreline and having the advantage of four away goals.

They face Antwerp in the second leg next week, which is why the manager’s team selection will be intriguing against Dundee United.

Despite the European win, there was the big blow of losing captain and ever-present right-back James Tavernier through injury.

Fortunately, defender Balogun showed his versatility by coming on as his substitute replacement against Antwerp and delivering an impressive display in an unfamiliar position.

The 32-year-old arrived in the summer after leaving Wigan Athletic and Rae has described him as a “tremendous addition” to the squad at Ibrox.

“I thought Balogun came in, who is naturally a centre-back, he played right-back last night, I thought he was immense. He was like a galloping full-back,” Rae told Football Pass.

“I think that shows great character for that guy because he came in very late in the [summer] transfer window as a replacement for Katic, and he’s been an absolutely tremendous addition.”

TBR’s View:

It’s easy to see why Gerrard has frequently spoken about the strength of his squad, which is going to be tested in the remaining months of the season.

Balogun, who has 31 international caps for Nigeria, may need to adapt to the full-back position moving forward due to the shortage of options available to the manager right now.

He’s got the physical attributes to be successful at right-back and has looked reliable at centre-half this season for the Gers, but it’ll be a huge test for him.