Goalscoring centre-back who wants to play for Super Eagles scores on Rangers debut

Rangers central defender Emmanuel Fernandez was on target as the Light Blues sealed a 4-2 win over Alloa Athletic at Ibrox Stadium, booking their place in the third round of the Scottish League Cup on Saturday evening.

Fernandez, a summer signing from Peterborough United, marked his debut with a fine header in the 23rd minute, converting a well-delivered free-kick from Joe Rothwell to put Rangers back in front.

Meanwhile, Nedim Bajrami had earlier opened the scoring for the hosts in the 13th minute before a Rothwell own goal leveled matters for Alloa twelve minutes later.

The goal was his first for the Light Blues since arriving in the summer, further highlighting his impressive goalscoring instinct. 

Though primarily a centre-back, the youngster has built a reputation for being a constant aerial threat and contributing with crucial goals.

Rangers' scorers in the second half were James Tavernier and Findlay Curtis, while Scott Taggart pulled one back for the third tier side.

Prior to his move to Rangers in July 2025, Fernandez featured in 61 matches across all competitions for Peterborough United, scoring seven goals — five of which came during his final season with the club.

While eligible to play for England’s Three Lions, Fernandez has expressed his desire to represent the Super Eagles and is currently working on securing a Nigerian passport to make the switch possible.

Before his official debut for Rangers, Fernandez was an unused substitute in six competitive games including four in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. 

Adewale Adeyemi

Photo Credit: rangers.co.uk

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