Fri 27 March 2026 19:10, UK

Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez has helped to further silence his doubters after making his senior Nigeria debut, according to UEFA coach John Walker.

Fernandez has starred for Rangers in recent months and earned a first call-up to the Nigeria senior squad in the process.

The 24-year-old arrived from Peterborough United for a fee of around £3million, which was considered a lot for a player in England’s third tier.

However, the centre-back has proved good value for money and his price tag will only have increased in the past seven months or so.

Amid talk that Fernandez could be on the radar of other clubs, the goalscoring defender is continuing to go from strength to strength after making his Nigeria bow.

Fernandez would have been eager to make his bow for the Super Eagles this window and did exactly that on Friday against Iran.

He played 45 minutes in a 2-1 win over the 2026 World Cup participants in Turkey.