Former Rangers target Veerman bags goal and assist on first PSV start

Former Rangers transfer target Joey Veerman produced an outstanding individual display on his first start for PSV Eindhoven, scoring once and assisting the other goal in a 2-1 comeback win over Telstar.

Rangers were extensively linked with Veerman both in the summer [Glasgow Times] and leading up to the current window.

However, there was always going to be serious competition to sign such a talented player and in the end, he swapped Heerenveen for the club he supported as a boy; PSV.

Last season’s Eredivisie runners up reportedly paid an initial €6m (£5m) to land the midfielder [Voetbal International].

It hasn’t taken him long to make his mark, either.

Veerman made his debut on Sunday, playing the final 26 minutes of a 1-0 league win at Groningen and he was handed his first start in a cup tie against Telstar on Thursday night.

If he was nervous, he didn’t show it, grinning prior to kick-off and then producing a brilliant individual performance.

PSV came from behind to defeat the second-tier visitors, and the man Rangers missed out on had a big hand in both goals.

He assisted the first, showing great vision to pounce on a loose ball and release Bruma with a well-weighted left-footed pass from inside his own half, and the Portuguese finished well in a one-vs-one situation.

Then, in the second half, Veerman scored the winner.

Just after the hour mark, the 23-year-old arrived late into the box to meet a cutback and guided a first-time right-footed finish into the right side of the net beyond a helpless goalkeeper.

He achieved the highest SofaScore rating of any PSV player (8.5), with six interceptions and two tackles helping to boost his score.

Plenty of Rangers fans were gutted when the Light Blues missed out on Veerman and this top performance on his first start, albeit against lower-league opposition, rubs salt into the wound.

Meanwhile, a former Rangers player looks set for a quick return to the SPFL.