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Giovanni van Bronckhorst has removed Jermain Defoe from coaching duties at Rangers - but stressed the veteran striker can still play a vital on-field role this season.
Defoe signed a 12-month player-coach contract during the summer to stay at Ibrox under Steven Gerrard's management.
However, the 39-year-old had played only eight minutes of first-team action prior to being introduced from the bench by Van Bronckhorst in Sunday's 3-1 win over Livingston.
Jermain Defoe has been removed from Rangers' coaching staff by Giovanni Van Bronckhorst
The new Ibrox boss has brought in former Holland and Bayern Munich striker Roy Makaay as part of his coaching team, which would limit Defoe's training ground involvement.
Van Bronckhorst instead expects the ex-England international to have opportunities to add to his 32 goals for Rangers since joining the club in 2019.
'He's been really good,' the Ibrox boss said of Defoe. 'When I came here, of course he was part of the coaching staff but also a player.
'He's also busy with his training badges, which is really good because we've already started thinking about team processes and tactical possibilities.
