Steven Davis believes Nikica Jelavic will be like a new signing for Rangers once he is back to his best.
The Croatian striker joined the Scottish champions in a £4million deal in the summer but has been unable to fulfil his early potential so far. He spent almost four months on the sidelines with a serious ankle injury, that required surgery, before coming off the bench to make his long-awaited comeback against Inverness on Tuesday.
Davis grabbed the only goal of the game in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash but has backed Jelavic to have a big part to play in the coming months and he said: "It was great to see him back. He has been out for a long time now so we are really getting a new signing once he gets a few games under his belt and gets back to his best."
The midfielder said: "He started the season really well and got four goals in six or seven games to start with.
"He has shown signs that he can be a big player for us. The injury was a major setback and it will be good to have him back."
Davis' strike just before half-time against Caley Thistle proved decisive as Rangers moved to within two points of SPL leaders Celtic, with two games in hand.
Next up is Saturday's visit to in-form Hearts, who came from behind to secure an impressive midweek victory over Kilmarnock.
Davis said: "It's important that we keep the run going and try to put a run of results together.
"We've got a couple of tough games coming up so it was important to win this game. We would rather have the points on the board than be chasing.
"We find ourselves in the situation where we have games in hand and it was important to get that win against Inverness."
Source: PA
