Olwethu Makhanya looks on while playing for Rangers
Olwethu Makhanya looks on while playing for Rangers
Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Rangers legend Peter Lovenkrands has revealed that Gers defender Olwethu Makhanya’s style of play reminds him of Liverpool great Virgil van Dijk.
Rangers paid a fee in the region of €3.3m to MLS side Philadelphia Union to secure the signature of the 22-year-old centre-back in the summer, which raised some eyebrows given he was an unknown quantity.
However, Makhanya quickly managed to establish himself in Derek McInnes’ starting lineup and has featured 15 times so far in all competitions.
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Makhanya’s defensive partner Emmanuel Fernandez admitted the 22-year-old has exceeded his expectations and Cammy Bell claimed last month that the centre-back will not be with Rangers for a long time if he keeps performing.
On Wednesday night, Makhanya once again played a key role in helping Rangers secure a point against Hearts away from home, as it was his header from Badredine Bouanani’s ball in the 89th minute that made the scoreline 2-2.
Lovenkrands hailed Makhanya as a Rolls Royce player and pointed out that he sees similarities between Makhanya and Liverpool’s centre-back Van Dijk.
He also stressed that the defender does all the brilliant stuff on the pitch while making it look effortless, but warned that Makhanya cannot keep on covering the mistakes of his defensive partner, Fernandez, all the time.
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Manager Time at Club
Derek McInnes June 2026– present
Danny Rohl October 2025 – June 2026
Russell Martin June 2025 – October 2025
Philippe Clement October 2023 – February 2025
Michael Beale November 2022 – October 2023
“Makhanya for Rangers, what a player like, he is like a Rolls Royce”, Lovenkrands said on BBC Radio Scotland: (22:03, 28th October).
“He reminds me a lot of the style of play as Van Dijk does.
“That kind of doesn’t seem like he is trying too hard, but you still just do all the brilliant stuff and right stuff at the right times.
“He is just brilliant to watch in that way and he can’t keep covering for Fernandez.
“That’s for me is the problem, he has to be the one.
“Fernandez had a bad game today, but he is the one covering all his mistakes and it shouldn’t be that way.”
Former forward Tam McManus has predicted Makhanya will command a big fee if he continues to perform the way he currently is, with Premier League interest expected.
Rangers have a contract with the South African centre-back until the summer of 2030 with an option to extend his stay by one year.