The inside track on Fabio Silva as Rangers told EXACTLY how to unlock new star's mega potential

Paulo Sergio has seen Fabio Silva up close and personal and reckons Rangers have landed a gem...if they can use him properly.

Paulo Sergio reckons Fabio Silva missed a crucial step in his career development when the Portuguese ace chose to chase the wads of Wolves cash on offer at Molineux.

But the former Hearts gaffer thinks Rangers might just be the right rung on the ladder for his compatriot to begin his climb back to the top. The highly-rated Porto kid was just 18 when he was lured away from his boyhood club by a £35million deal that included a reported £80,000-a-week pay packet. However, it’s been a case of too much too soon for the young striker, with that eye-watering financial package serving only to inflate expectation levels upon his arrival in England.

Understandably, the teenager struggled to live up to his big money billing, managing just five goals in 73 appearances for the Premier League outfit. Loan moves to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven and Anderlecht in Belgium last term provided the Portugal Under-21 frontman with a more suitable level to kick start his career.

Now aged 21, he’s joined Gers on another six-month loan deal and Sergio sees it as a step in the right direction for a player with everything to prove. “I think he moved to England too soon,” the ex-Gorgie gaffer told Record Sport. “It was a huge step for him at that time. It happens with a lot of players. Nowadays, clubs are looking to buy players very young. We saw it here in Portugal when Joao Felix left Benfica to join Atletico Madrid when he was only 19. But it was too early for him and we saw a break in his progression.

“That happened with Fabio too. I just hope he can recover and get back to the path he was on at Porto as soon as possible. When I look at what he was showing here in Portugal and the type of player he was becoming, I just think it was important for him that he was given the chance to play. But you know, people can’t say no to the big contracts. That’s life. But with Fabio and his talents, joining Wolves at that time was like missing a step. At this age, it’s very important to play and improve yourself - but when you make too big a jump in level it can hurt you.

“I think that happened with Joao Felix when he went to Spain and also with Fabio when he joined Wolves. It was a huge step for him when he was very, very young. After that, it can be a problem in their head to deal with that frustration. But now you need to be strong and move on. It’s now time to prove his worth and I think everyone here in Portugal is expecting big things from Fabio.”

Silva’s first opportunity to impress at Ibrox could come this afternoon when Gers host Kilmarnock in their final Premiership clash before the winter break. And Sergio will be among the interested observers keen to see how he fares. The Jambos’ Scottish Cup winning boss - now back working in his homeland managing Portuguese top-flight outfit Portimonense - has kept close tabs on a player who became Porto’s youngest ever goalscorer after breaking through in September 2019.

He’d been a prolific scorer for the Dragons as their academy side lifted the UEFA Youth League title earlier that year, beating a Chelsea side containing Billy Gilmour in the final. But Sergio has warned him representing Rangers is no child’s play.

He said: “There have been some big expectations around Fabio growing up. He burst his way into the Portuguese Under-21 side and was a top scorer with Porto’s youth team. So a lot of people expected him to become a really top player. I’ve kept a close eye on Fabio during his way through. I also played against his father Jorge, who is around my age, so I’ve followed what he’s been doing.

“Rangers is a big, big club. Fabio can look forward to playing in the Europa League and challenging for the title in Scotland. But this now is the moment where he has to prove himself. He has to understand that. However, I think this one can be good for Rangers and it can be good for Fabio too if he takes this opportunity.”

The arrival of Silva may well signal the end of Rangers’ rumoured interest in Hearts skipper Lawrence Shankland. But Sergio reckons that if Philippe Clement is to get the best out of his new signing, he’d be best served giving him a partner.

He said: “In my opinion, he is a good striker but he’s better when he has a partner up top by his side. He’s not what you’d call an out and out No9 in my view. But he has good skills, can score goals and I think he can help this Rangers team. He’s more of a second striker. His characteristics aren’t the type to stand there alone up front. He needs the freedom to make his movements, which are very good around the box, so that’s why I think he’s better with a proper No9 beside him.

“His game is not about power, he’s more about being clever with good technical skills and clever movements around the box. And he does get goals. So yeah, there’s been a lot of expectation around him but this is now a chance for him to confirm his potential. Fabio has been on loan at different clubs since joining Wolves so hopefully he can adapt quickly to Rangers and prove when everybody believes he is capable of.”