Jack Sanders had a tough time of it at Ibrox on Sunday but his form for St Johnstone prior to that has been enough to attract transfer interest.
The English centre-back signed for the Perth Saints on a free transfer at the start of this season after a tough spell at Kilmarnock came to an end.
Sanders struggled to get a look in at Killie and played just a handful of times in the Premiership, featuring slightly more regularly in their Championship-winning season.
He got even more games in the second tier during loans at Cove Rangers and then Ayr United.
Aged 25, St Johnstone felt they were getting a defender who still had his best years ahead of him but had plenty of experience when they signed him last summer.
And he has proven to be a key man, featuring regularly at the heart of defence and making 26 appearances to date. All but one of them were starts.
Struggling at the foot of the table, St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari recently admitted relegation was a real possibility.
But Sanders’ development has been one bright spark.
Crawley and Gillingham Sanders bids rejected
So much so that scouts for clubs in England are taking notice.
And Not the Old Firm can reveal that Crawley and Gillingham have both submitted offers for the defender, both EFL clubs keen to take him on.
However, St Johnstone have instantly rejected both bids as they stand firm over their player.
Crawley are fighting relegation in League One and are looking to bolster their defence with 43 goals conceded contributing to their league position of 22nd.
While Gillingham aren’t faring much better as they sit 14th in League Two.
But if either wants to land Sanders they will likely need to go back in with a larger offer.
Saints have struggled defensively and so it would be a real blow to lose one of their more capable players in that position.
St Johnstone are likely to be more focused on incomings in January and we exclusively revealed their interest in Dutch cap Jean-Paul Boetius.
St Johnstone saw Sanders as ‘physical presence’
Upon signing Sanders last year, then manager Craig Levein said: “We’re really pleased to get Jack on board for the upcoming season.
“He will provide us with a physical presence at the back but he is also comfortable with the ball at his feet.
“We’ve had a lot of discussions with Jack and it is clear how determined he is to kick on with his career and prove himself at this level.”