Gio van Bronckhorst names Rangers key man as flexible formation comes up trumps again

Giovanni van Bronckhorst singled out John Lundstram as key in Rangers’ stunning Europa League run.

The Light Blues took a giant step towards the quarter finals with a 3-0 win over Red Star Belgrade at Ibrox.

And van Bronckhorst piled praise on the versatility of Lundstram as he switched between midfield and defence.

James Tavernier’s penalty, a strike from Alfredo Morelos and Leon Balogun header means Gers are almost certain to be in the last eight.

And Lundstram, who looked to be on his way out of Ibrox after a struggling start in Glasgow, yet again played a key role.

Van Bronckhorst told BT Sport: “I said before the game we had to be dynamic and we had to be and John had an important role.

“We prepared him for the different systems we could play against so he was the key, especially in the second half.

“We want him to be very dynamic and be on midfield so we can keep the pressure on the ball but sometimes he had to make it a back five and he did very well in the second half.

“I know the positions he can play. When I came here I asked him to be a central defender because we didn’t have any left as they were all injured and he said he’d never played there.

“I told him with his qualities he could easily play there and he’s growing in that role in-between the two central defenders or in central midfield.”

Lundstram added: “The boss tweaks it sometimes. He likes me to drop in and do the defensive part of the game when needed.

“At times they had three up top so it was a case of me dropping back in and I just do what the gaffer tells me.

“The gaffer pulls the strings and tells us what to do it and it worked.:

Van Bronckhorst says there is still work to be done in the return in the Marakana against a side who had a