March was something of a rollercoaster month for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers as they secured their 55th Premiership title before being knocked out of the Europa League against Slavia Prague at Ibrox, although one constant was the impressive performances of Filip Helander.
The Swedish international has been a regular under Gerrard since signing from Bologna in 2019, going on to make 45 appearances for the Light Blues, in which he has contributed five goals and one assist.
The 27-year-old has been a key part of Rangers’ impressive Premiership season, forming an excellent partnership with Connor Goldson in central defence, making 21 appearances in the Scottish top flight and averaging a superb 7.11 WhoScored match rating.
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He endured a difficult February which saw him fail to average above a 7/10 WhoScored rating in any of his five appearances, with notably poor performances in the 1-1 draw with Hamilton and the 4-3 win against Royal Antwerp.
However, the £1.8m-rated defender was able to bounce back in March with four excellent displays from his five appearances in all competitions, with the one small blip coming in the Old Firm derby, when he earned a solid if unspectacular 6.6 WhoScored rating after being beaten by Mohamed Elyounoussi for the opening goal.
His other performances were superb, though, as he earned above a 7/10 rating for his performances against Livingston, St Mirren and Slavia Prague, when he scored an important equaliser before inexplicably being dropped for the return leg, which led to Rangers’ first defeat in more than a year on home soil.
Helander was able to continue his impressive club form with Sweden recently, helping Janne Andersson’s side to a clean sheet in their 1-0 win against Georgia earlier this week, once again earning above a 7/10 rating from WhoScored, so it is perhaps no surprise to see him being linked with both Leicester City and Aston Villa recently.
During the 418 minutes Helander played in March, he conceded just two goals, which emphasises how important he has been at the back for Gerrard’s side this season, with their phenomenal defensive record one of the key factors behind their league title triumph.
Gerrard dubbed the Swedish international a “leader” in 2019, and this month has certainly emphasised his qualities at the back for both club and country, which will surely delight his manager.
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