THEY’VE made moves that could take them to the peak of their careers.
But Nathan Blake reckons Tom Lawrence and Rabbi Matondo switching to Rangers will excite The Valleys, too.
Attacker Lawrence, 28, joined the Ibrox side after his contract expired at cash-crippled Derby County.
Schalke winger Matondo, 21, is expected to link up with his fellow Welshman this week with a £3million deal close to being rubber-stamped.
Over the years, the pair have been on the fringes of the international squad, with Wales recently qualifying for their first World Cup since 1958.
But former Dragons hero Blake thinks starring for Gers can help them both gatecrash Rob Page’s pool for Qatar later this year.
read more rangers stories
He said: “It’s brilliant for Welsh football, two lads playing at the highest level in Scotland.
“I would prefer them to be playing there than in Belgium, for instance — and that’s no disrespect to Belgium.
“But I know the Scottish league and I know it’s a tough league. OK, one of the top two tends to win it, but it’s competition.
“If you’re at Rangers you still have to beat Celtic, and winning and drawing isn’t really good enough. It’s a mentality you have to buy into.
Most read in Sport
“I used to do a bit of agent work and I always told the kids if you’re going to Scotland — no disrespect to other teams — then you’ve got to play for one of the big two.
“Whether it’s Rangers or Celtic, it’s the pinnacle of Scottish football.
“I just think it’s brilliant for Wales these two guys could be there together now. But more importantly it’s brilliant for those players to have that sort of opportunity.”
Lawrence, capped 23 times, came through the ranks at Manchester United and was also at Leicester.
But after several loan moves he only found regular football after moving to the Rams in 2017.
Matondo was a Cardiff starlet before being prised away by Manchester City.
In 2019, he made an £11m move to Schalke, but life in Germany hasn’t worked out for him.
Blake added: “Tom is experienced and a very good player. He’ll do brilliantly for Rangers.
“I think he’s an underrated player. He’s a better player than a lot of people give him credit for.
“I’ve touted him for the Welsh squad and why he hasn’t been in it more, I’m not sure. I understand the situation at Derby and he might have had one or two issues himself.
“But I think it’s a great chance for him. If he can go and hit 15 goals, and he’s more than capable of that, by the World Cup?
“Even if he scores 12 or 13 and has five or six assists, he puts himself in a great position to get in that squad.
BETTING SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS AND FREE BETS
“He was flavour of the month two or three years ago. He’s proved himself at international level. Can he do it? Yes. Did he do it consistently enough for Wales? Yes.
“It’s just unfortunate he’s gone through a bad patch with his club. But I know Rob Page well, I know Tom isn’t far from his mind.
“Rabbi is obviously on the edge. He’s got to go and play well, score goals, assist and make sure he puts himself on that flight to Qatar. It bodes well for Rangers and Wales.”
As a former Bluebirds attacker, Blake, has followed Matondo’s career closely.
And after moving around so much — there were loans at Stoke and Cercle Brugge, too — he reckons it’s time to settle for an extended spell.
He said: “If Rabbi signs for Rangers it’s a great chance, because his career has got a bit lost.
“It’s not really unfolded the way he expected. If I was advising him I’d tell him we’re at Rangers now and we want to be here for the next four or five seasons.
“As a young lad you need to put roots down, find a home, live in the area and play.
“It’s probably a better chance than I expected him to get, if I’m honest. That’s how highly I rate those clubs.
“It’s a fantastic chance, because he’s up-and-coming. I’ve seen him as a youth player, from Under-18s to Under-23s.
“My honest opinion is he probably jumped too soon and too quickly.
“When he left Cardiff, Man City was a great move for him and it’s understandable why he went there.
“He’s gone on to Schalke, but the problem is going out on loan like he has doesn’t suit certain characters.
“He’s moved almost every season and he’s struggled. He needs to be back in the UK and settle down.”
Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page