While Malik Tillman is on the verge of securing the Eredivisie title with PSV Eindhoven, another former Rangers player – albeit one who may remember his time at Ibrox with a little less fondness – is closing in on a pretty glorious end to his own campaign.
When Rangers sold the now-26-year-old defender to a club who had just stumbled to a disappointing ninth-place finish in England’s third tier back in 2021, few would have predicted that the very same player – and the very same club no less – would be on the verge of a place in the Premier League just a few seasons later.
But that is the reality facing George Edmundson and Ipswich Town.
While third in the Championship, they have a game in hand on both Leicester City and Leeds United, and remain in control of their own destiny. Win their final three matches, and Ipswich will be a top-flight team again for the first time in over 20 years.
And while Edmundson might not have been as involved as he might have liked in another glorious campaign under the extremely highly-rated Kieran McKenna – an ankle issue keeping him out against Middlesbrough last time out – the one-time Ibrox benchwarmer has certainly played his part.
Former Rangers man nearing Premier League
Edmundson has started only two league matches since February. But the fact that Ipswich kept a clean sheet in both of those is testament to his ability to slot in when needed and ensure there will be no substantial drop-off.
Whether that is enough to earn the one-time Oldham starlet a chance in the Premier League remains to be seen. But it is a ‘squad game’, as they say. And Edmundson is one of those dependable, unsung back-ups every club finds themselves relying upon now and again.
“Everyone loves him,” Ipswich talisman Conor Chaplin told the East Anglian Daily Times of Edmundson back in January. “He’s such a good guy and important part of the changing room and the dynamic. Big voice. Big character.
“It’s been tough for him at times definitely because everyone wants to play. But he’s been training really well and got his head down, fully supported the boys that are playing in front of him, which is what we all expect from each other in this group.
“And that’s not a given. A lot of places aren’t like that, trust me! It’s also not easy to do that, but he has been for a long time.
“And that’s fantastic.”
Ipswich three games away from glory
Edmundson, one of the more forgettable of the many Steven Gerrard signings at Rangers, made only eight league appearances in his two years north of the border.
Ironically enough, asConnor Goldson’s influence declines with worrying speed, Edmundson’s enduring professionalism and his willingness to step up whenever he’s required could have come in pretty handy at Ibrox over the last few months.
Ipswich travel to Hull City on Saturday. They then face Coventry in their game in hand during next midweek before finishing a gruelling campaign at home to relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town.
