Back in May, the Scottish Herald reported that Rangers were set to sign an up and coming midfielder from Sporting Lisbon on a two-year deal.
The player in question was teenager, Umaro Balde.
No official announcement was made by the club concerning the youngster. Yet, last month, he was snapped by SNS leaving the Hummel Training Centre after the first day of pre-season.
Therefore, despite the lack of acknowledgement, it seems as though the youngster is a Rangers player.
That was essentially confirmed by the unofficial RFC Youth Updates Twitter on Monday. A WordPress page linked to the account published the Gers U18 squad which took on Partick Thistle earlier that afternoon.
Balde was named in the starting XI.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear if he played the 90 minutes or not. However, as far as we’re aware, this was his first appearances in Rangers colours.
He formed part of a strong lineup alongside the likes of Nathan Young-Coombes and Alex Lowry, both of whom featured in the impressive Alkass Cup winning side from last season.
The 18s ran out 6-1 winners courtesy of goals from Kane Ritchie-Hosler (2), Lowry, McKee, Dickson, and Yates.
Here’s hoping Balde can make an impression at Youth level, before eventually progressing through the ranks to challenge for a first-team spot.