A surprise move from Steven Gerrard gave Rangers wonderkid Leon King a taste of the big time in Liege on Thursday night.
The 16-year-old was reportedly a target for Premier League giants Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea last year [Daily Record], but he opted to stay at Ibrox, penning a two-year professional contract in March.
Keeping the centre-back was a “priority” for sporting director, Ross Wilson, who said that King “has a huge desire to develop his career at Rangers and is impressing the staff on a daily basis with his application and attitude” [Rangers.co.uk].
It’s likely that the youngster was reassured that he would receive opportunities at first-team level down the line and he’s already being integrated into the group.
Despite his age, he has previously been involved in matchday preparations for a domestic fixture and on Thursday night, he was given an introduction to European football.
King was named as one of the Gers’ 12 substitutes for the fixture against Standard Liege.
The young defender was never going to make it onto the pitch but he completed the warm-up, going through the same preparations as those who started the Europa League group stage clash at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne.
It seems it wasn’t just a token gesture from Gerrard, either, with King continuing to train with the squad following their return from Belgium, as preparations ramp up for the Premiership clash against Livingston.
With spots more limited in domestic football, there’s little to no chance that he’ll make the squad at Ibrox this weekend.
Yet, when he presumably returns to age-group and B team football in the coming weeks, he should be extra motivated to kick on, knowing life as a Rangers first-team player is within touching distance.
