'Creativity, skill and craft': Rangers flop ends 14-month wait at new club as manager raves about his impact
15/02/2025 14:00
It took Kieran Dowell only three Birmingham City appearances to do what he managed only twice in 22 Scottish Premiership outings in a Rangers shirt.
He scored a goal.
And, as goals go, this was a pretty good one too. As Birmingham tore through Cambridge United – the gap between the bottom of League One and the top a veritable chasm on the night – the Rangers loanee started a free-flowing counter-attack with a clever flick around the corner.
Six seconds, two passes and one inspired Keshi Anderson dummy later, here he was again, Kieran Dowell arriving on the edge of the Cambridge penalty are and opening his Blues account with the coolest of side-footed finishes.
To quote the man himself, Dowell is ‘buzzing’ with the way he has started life with Birmingham City. Understandably so, given the circumstances surrounding his arrival during the January transfer window.
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Birmingham City boss opens up on Kieran Dowell’s impact on loan from Rangers
Philippe Clement froze Dowell out at Rangers, the minutes that were previously going to him now inherited by an 18-year-old Bailey Rice. A decision Rangers should benefit from long-term, given Rice’s age and considerable potential.
South of the border, meanwhile, Dowell’s impact at Birmingham should not go under the radar.
Yes, a side cruising at the top of the table under former Celtic assistant Chris Davies were faring pretty well before he arrived.
But, while the sample size is still small, Birmingham are averaging two goals per game with Dowell in their starting XI compared to 1.6 without him; Their biggest win of the season coming on the night in which the Everton academy graduate scored for the first time back in England.
Davies hailed Kieran Dowell’s physicality and running power after that Cambridge clash.
Speaking again ahead of Birmingham’s battle with Charlton Athletic on Saturday afternoon, Ange Postecoglou’s old right-hand man delved a little deeper into the qualities Dowell has brought to the table, adding a new-found creative spark to a team who often struggled to turn their superiority into goals previously.
“I think we are looking more confident in the final third. Kieran Dowell has really added to that,” Davies says. “We are looking strong.
It is not Dowell’s ability to open up a defence that has impressed Davies the most, however.
Rather his willingness to throw himself into the mud and nettles, Dowell averaging 1.3 successful tackles per game in League One compared to 0.4 in Scotland.
Dowell ends long wait for a 90-minute outing back in England
"He is coming from Rangers having not played much at all and then coming and suddenly having to play a lot. He is lasting the games really well,” Davies said after Dowell played the full 90 minutes in a league match for the first time since December 2023.
"What has impressed me most is his work ethic. I think he has got the creativity, the skill, the craft we were looking for."
Dowell is not the only Ibrox loanee to make a strong start to a mid-season loan spell. Rangers winger Rabbi Matondo scored a stunner for Hannover on his debut earlier this month, adding some much-needed pace and one-v-one threat to a team looking to secure a return to the Bundesliga.
Hannover can reportedly sign Matondo permanently for around £1 million.
There is no purchase clause in Kieran Dowell’s Birmingham City contract, however. Though should he build on an excellent beginning, this is surely something a team sitting seven points clear with a game in hand will look into soon enough.
"I'm buzzing with the start," Dowell said after finishing off that superb team goal in midweek. “It was nice to go into the starting line-up so quickly, I think that's helped me to settle in and build up relationships with the players who I'm around on the pitch."
"To be honest, [I moved to Birmingham hoping for] more of a chance to start enjoying my footy again. I've come to a club that's dominating the ball and playing positive football. The manager alluded to how dominant the team is before I came and he was right.
“In the games I've played, it's been good to be a part of with the possession we have."
