McLeish tips Jeffers to bounce back

Rangers manager Alex McLeish has backed Francis Jeffers to be a success in the Premiership – if he finds a strike partner who complements his game.

The 24-year-old will return to Charlton after the Bank of Scotland Premier League visit of Dundee United, for which he has been named in the Rangers squad.

The former Everton and Arsenal man failed to score for the Light Blues during his time with the club.

But Ibrox boss McLeish insists he has no regrets over the loan deal which, he believes, played its part in helping the Glasgow giants progress to the last 16 of the Champions League.

McLeish said: “Franny has been unlucky with injuries during his loan period, which, for me, was pretty significant in why it didn’t quite work out for him.

“If I hadn’t brought him in, we maybe could have been doing better in the league but out of the Champions League, so how I can regret bringing him in?

“I think he can still make an impact when he goes back to the Premiership but he needs the right partner.

“I don’t believe we found the right blend while he was here and that was due to exceptional circumstances like injuries.

“We played him in Porto on his own up front and that doesn’t suit him, but we needed to do that as we were stretched to the limits.

“You can’t underestimate the performance of the group in that game rather than any individual prowess.”