Pre-season has stepped up this week as Steven Gerrard pushes his squad at a training camp in the Algarve.
However, not every contracted Ger has made the trip.
The likes of Graham Dorrans, Kyle Lafferty, Eros Grezda and Jason Holt were all left behind with Ibrox exits now looking imminent.
Another player who appears to be absent from the Portugal camp is Zak Rudden.
The club’s media team have uploaded several training galleries since touching down over the weekend. Yet, despite being spotted at Auchenhowie last week, the teenage forward is now nowhere to be seen.
Rangers announced the talented centre-forward had signed a new one-year contract extension on Saturday. Therefore, his immediate future is not under threat.
Yet, he admitted on interview that the Gers coaches had asked for improvements in certain areas of his game. Consequently, it wouldn’t be any great surprise if the new deal was a precursor to another loan move. That would mirror the club’s approach with Ryan Hardie back in January.
Loan spell no.2 for Zak?
Rudden spent last season on loan at Falkirk. Although he couldn’t quite manage to keep them in the Scottish Championship, he was hugely impressive and landed all their major end of season awards.
Perhaps the next step up is a gig with a traditional bottom-half SPL club. The likes of St Mirren or Hamilton would surely jump at the chance to bring in such a promising striker.
His apparent exclusion from the Portugal camp suggests that Gerrard has seen enough for now. If that is the case, perhaps the best place for Rudden to be is away from Ibrox.
If he is to make it eventually, more experience of leading the line at senior level is required. He’s still very young and while the prospect of another stint away is likely to cause frustration, it could be the best thing for him in the long run.
