Mark Hateley delivers blunt Rangers transfer message to Michael Beale and tells he he needs 3 strikers to topple Celtic

Mark Hateley was part of a three-pronged Rangers strike force that wreaked havoc with opposition defences.

Little wonder then the man who was a regular fixture alongside Ally McCoist or Mo Johnston under Graeme Souness and Walter Smith believes current boss Michael Beale’s top priority has to be finding an attacker who will hit the back of the net 25 to 30 times a season.

Or as he puts it: “You can’t win the league when your right back’s the top scorer.” Hateley’s admiration for James Tavernier’s goal rate is obvious but with Alfredo Morelos gone and Beale pushing hard to bring Cremonese striker Cyriel Desser to the Ibrox, the former Rangers and England striker believes that getting the right man is crucial to overcoming Celtic next season. And while he believes a fit Kemar Roofe would be a massive plus for the Gers boss, Hateley knows the former Leeds and Anderlecht striker’s wretched injury record means there are no guarantees.

Hateley said: “They need a goalscorer. Actually, you don’t need one. You don’t need two. You need three goalscorers. You need two that are in your starting 11 who can score more goals than your right back and your captain if you are going to have a chance of winning anything. That’s a given.

“You have to score more goals than the opposition every week, it’s as simple as that. The game does not change. It is all about scoring goals and Celtic scored a lot more than Rangers last season.

“That is why they won the league. Rangers have only really had one main goalscorer in the team over the last five years and that has been the full back. That has been the reality of the situation.”

Hateley reckons Rangers fans will see a more flexible team next term in terms of shape but insists the most important