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Published Sep 15, 2026, 7:40 AM GMT+1
Daniel is an experienced football writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering the professional game, specialising in the Championship, Football League and Scottish football, alongside in-depth coverage of Norwich City, Celtic and Rangers.
A journalist since 2015, Daniel began his career writing for Fresh Press before progressing into a full-time writing and editing role, producing club-focused coverage for Read Norwich, Read Celtic, Read Liverpool and Read Arsenal. He later spent almost a year with Liverpool-based outlet Anfield Watch, where his work included conducting and transcribing interviews with figures including Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, former Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa and journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Daniel has worked with Snack Media (now Valnet) since 2021, contributing to Football FanCast as both a writer and editor. His work focuses particularly on player analysis, transfer insight and original football features, combining detailed knowledge of the game with research-driven assessment of players, clubs and potential moves.
His specialist knowledge of Norwich City and the Football League has also seen him contribute to BBC Norfolk and assist DAZN with research for commentary broadcasts. As a Norwich City season-ticket holder, Daniel brings a level of first-hand knowledge of the club and its players that complements his wider expertise across the Championship and EFL. His Norwich coverage has also featured in publications including the Coventry Telegraph and Liverpool Echo.
Alongside his Football League expertise, Daniel has covered Celtic and Rangers extensively, developing a strong understanding of Scottish football. His work gives readers informed transfer assessment, detailed player analysis and authoritative insight into clubs and competitions he has spent years following and reporting on.
Glasgow Rangers have not won the Scottish Premiership title since the 2020/21 campaign and have not won any trophy in any competition in almost two years.
It takes a lot of bad decision-making, with signings and managerial appointments, to get to that point, and there is a long list of failed moves by the club since their last league title.
REUTERS/Jason CairnduffDerek McInnes will be hoping that he can buck the trend for the Light Blues by creating a team that can win trophies and bring the Gers back to their former glory.
In the past, Rangers wasted too much money on players who never looked up to the task of playing at Ibrox, such as Dutchman Sam Lammers.
How Sam Lammers' career at Rangers unfolded
In the summer of 2023, Michael Beale attempted to revamp his attacking options and swooped to sign the attacker from Serie A outfit Atalanta for a fee of £3.5m.
The versatile forward, who played as a centre-forward and as an attacking midfielder, never looked up to the intensity and physicality of the Premiership during his time at Ibrox.
Lammers did offer a physical outlet in the air, standing at 6 foot 3, but when it came to dealing with the speed of play and intensity on the ground, he looked a mile off what was required.
|
Appearances |
17 |
|
Pass accuracy |
81% |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Minutes per goal |
426 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.3 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
Assists |
1 |
The Dutchman only scored two goals and provided one assist in his 17 league outings for the club, as he struggled to make an impact on a regular basis, and Philippe Clement quickly moved him to the bottom of the pecking order after he replaced Beale in the dugout.
Lammers was sent on loan to FC Utrecht for the second half of the season before being sold to FC Twente for £2.5m in the summer of 2024, as the Gers made a £1m loss on the forward after just one year at Ibrox.
How Rangers star has avoided becoming the new Sam Lammers
Fast-forward to the present day and there is a player in the current Rangers squad who was in danger of becoming the new version of Lammers in Glasgow.
At the end of the winter transfer window at the start of this year, former Gers boss Danny Rohl raided Hansa Rostock to sign Ryan Naderi from the 3. Liga club for a fee of £4.7m.
That deal raised eyebrows in Scotland and Germany because it made the centre-forward the most expensive player in the history of the third tier of German football, and it represented a big risk for the Light Blues.
Naderi's start to life at Ibrox did not ease any concerns about how he would be able to handle the jump from third division football, as he struggled in the Premiership in the 2025/26 campaign.
REUTERS/Russell CheyneThe German attacker scored one goal and provided one assist in nine appearances in the second half of the season, whilst he lost 73% of his ground duels and 65% of his aerial battles.
As was the case with Lammers during his first six months at the club, Naderi did not look ready to deal with the intensity and physicality of Scottish football.
|
Appearances |
9 |
5 |
|
Goals |
1 |
1 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
|
Assists |
1 |
1 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.6 |
1.2 |
|
Duels won per game |
3.6 |
6.6 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
27% |
45% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
35% |
53% |
His statistics in the Premiership this season show that the 23-year-old star has adapted to life in Scotland and is now ready to deal with the physical nature of the league, winning a much higher percentage of his duels on the ground and in the air.
Naderi's improvement on the physical side of the game has also helped him to match last season's tally of goals and assists in almost half as many appearances, whilst he has scored three goals in all competitions this term.
Reuters/Jason CairnduffWhilst Lammers did not improve and adapt as time went on in his Gers career, the 6 foot 4 centre-forward has developed and emerged as an undroppable figure for McInnes.
The £4.7m-rated star started in the 3-0 win over Celtic on Sunday and played a crucial role in the win with his relentless pressing from the front, whilst he was unfortunate not to be given the assist when he competed for a header that dropped to Kevin Kelsy for the second goal.
Naderi's physicality and work rate as part of a front two for Rangers has made him a vital part of what the manager is trying to do at the moment, which is why he should be considered undroppable.
The German striker is living proof that a slow or poor start to life at Ibrox does not have to define how the rest of your career goes in Glasgow.
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