Rangers winger Jake Hastie turned out for the Development team on Monday afternoon, suggesting he’s still not part of Steven Gerrard’s first-team plans.
Hastie joined the Gers from Motherwell in the summer, having earlier penned a pre-contract agreement [Rangers.co.uk]
The 20-year-old was coming off the back of an impressive few months at Fir Park, having scored six goals after returning from a lower league loan stint, earning him a Scottish Young Player of the Year nomination [PFAScotland.co.uk].
Yet, so far, he’s barely been seen in a Rangers shirt.
He turned out twice during the early stages of the season, starting in a Europa League qualifier against St Joseph’s at Ibrox and then coming off the bench against East Fife in a League Cup fixture in August.
The winger was then sent on loan to EFL League One side Rotherham United, where he initially did well, before falling out of favour.
He returned to Ibrox in January, no doubt keen to make his mark.
However, no opportunities have come his way. Despite a lack of positive contributions from the likes of Sheyi Ojo, Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones (who spent a long spell out injured), Hastie has been unable to force his way into the reckoning.
He was excluded from the extended Europa League squad for the knockout stages of the competition and hasn’t made a matchday 18 since his return.
It must be a source of disappointment to the player, but his time out of the fold doesn’t look like ending any time soon.
That’s because he started and played the full 90 minutes of a Development friendly at Aberdeen on Monday afternoon, while the senior squad were preparing for the midweek visit of Hamilton in the league.
Perhaps Hastie simply isn’t doing enough in these fixtures to warrant a promotion.
He had several efforts on goal during the first half against the Dons but didn’t manage to convert, while he also failed to contribute in a 2-1 friendly defeat to Partick Thistle last week.
Hastie is still young and raw and there’s no immediate threat to his Rangers future, given that he’s contracted until 2023.
Yet, it seems that if he wants another shot at the first team anytime soon, he’ll need to step things up a notch.
