Rangers star Steven Davis would get more respect if he was Argentinian, says David Healy

David Healy believes Rangers midfielder Steven Davis would have received a better press and more plaudits if he was from Buenos Aires and not Ballymena.

Davis, who captained Northern Ireland at the Euro 2016 finals in France, has enjoyed a glittering career spanning 18 years and almost 850 games for club and country.

But in the modern social media world of glitzy highlight reels and viral soundbites, the understated 37-year-old has more often than not flown under the radar.

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“Let’s face it, if Steve had been Argentinian, Spanish, Italian or French, journalists and people would be raving about him,” said Healy of his former international teammate.

“If he had come into the English Premier League as an Argentinian instead of being from Cullybackey outside Ballymena, he would have been talked about a lot more.

“He would have gotten a better press. I know Brendan Rodgers had a little sniff when he was Liverpool manager and he maybe ended up signing Joe Allen around that time.

“I do believe if Steve hadn’t been from Ballymena or Northern Ireland, he would have ended up getting one of the really top moves. That’s how highly I rate him.”

Healy believes Rangers pulled off a masterstroke by retaining Davis on a one-year contract when it looked almost certain the veteran playmaker would leave Ibrox this summer.

The former Ibrox striker, now managing Linfield in the Irish League, said: “I always had a feeling Steve would play on and stay at Rangers because he’s a phenomenal talent and a brilliant man.

“It’s no surprise to me that he’s staying at Rangers. Whether he plays 80 percent of games, I don’t know, but he will certainly add to