Malik Tillman has earned the right to have the button pushed on his £5million transfer clause and he has the temperament, the technique and the tools to become an Ibrox hero for keeps.

That’s the verdict of former Rangers and USA midfielder Maurice Edu after the 20-year-old Bayern Munich loan star was voted the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year by his fellow pros on Sunday evening.

Edu, who won three Scottish Premiership titles at Rangers in a rollercoaster four years is now a leading Major League Soccer TV analyst in his homeland.

Maurice has watched US Men’s National Team emerging star Tillman’s progress this season with interest.

“I feel there was a lot of expectation on Malik’s shoulders when he joined Rangers,” he tells the Rangers Review.

“Tillman came in highly rated, he was a German Under-21 star from the Bayern Munich Academy who was touted for big things.

“He was a little unlucky to miss out on the World Cup with the National team for the USA getting into that pool late on, but he delivered for Rangers this season. No question. If he continues on this trajectory, he has some great tools that can be very valuable for Rangers in the future.”

Tillman, who has a German mother and an American father and was born in Nuremberg, could have played for both countries and had those youth outings for the country of his birth.

However, he now has four caps for the USA and Edu believes his club stats show why he is well worth the £5million it would cost Michael Beale to seal a permanent move for a maverick player who is an often polarising talent amongst the support.

READ MORE: Analysing Robby McCrorie's brilliant no.1 audition

The 6ft 2ins midfielder’s statistics before his season-ending injury in the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat from Celtic at Hampden are telling. With 43 appearances, 12 goals and five assists.

“He is effective, the numbers don’t lie,” Edu insists, a £2.6million Walter Smith signing from Toronto FC.

“It depends on how Michael Beale wants to play this one out but we have seen the impact that Malik can have when he has been given the green light to go and play his game.

“Activating the clause? He has done everything on his part to justify why it would make sense for Rangers to do it.

“I don’t know where his ambitions lie, though, or if he is happy to continue to live and play in Scotland but as a Rangers fan I want to see him continue to do well for the club.”

Maurice earned 46 caps for the USA in a playing career that took in Stoke City, Turkish giants Bursaspor and Philadelphia Union after he left Glasgow.

These days he is a highly respected pundit on Apple TV, CBS and Fox in the States and opens up on his Ibrox days and his new career in a two-part Rangers Review interview this week. As ever, he was glued to the Old Firm showdown on Saturday.

“I am dialled in on everything to do with the MLS and the US national team because that’s my job now. Yet I still try to follow Rangers as closely as possible,” Edu continues.

“I think Tillman has had an incredible season and that’s why he is in the Team of the Year.

“Unfortunately, jokingly, as a Rangers man, I also have to give credit to Cameron Carter-Vickers as well at Celtic. Seriously, it’s just good to see Americans there and doing well in the Scottish Premiership.”

Maurice won that trio of titles, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups with Gers and he knows the mindset required to be a success at the club.

He feels Tillman possesses it and he points out: “He’s a confident kid, he never seems to be fazed if he tries something and it doesn’t come off.

“He is actually well-disciplined in the fact that he has a short-term memory and he moves on and always keeps trying to create for the team.”