Rangers reportedly held an interest in Liverpool wonderkid Ben Woodburn back in June and the Welshman does initially seem like the kind of young talent Steven Gerrard was supposed to attract north of the border.
However, with the youngster joining Championship outfit Sheffield United on loan, there is no need for Gers fans to be concerned that their club has failed to sign Woodburn or his countryman Harry Wilson, who will also spend the season in the English second tier with Derby County.
That is largely because Gerrard has already managed to secure the arrival of a more developed, mature Liverpool wideman to inspire Rangers’ bid to close the gap on Celtic this season.
Ryan Kent has made a lively start to his first loan spell in Scotland, impressing on Europa League duty in Croatia, but it is his impact in the Championship with Barnsley and, more recently, Bristol City, that should get Rangers fans excited that Gerrard has already managed to attract a talent capable of making a real impact.
His time with the Tykes during the 2015/16 season saw him earn the Barnsley’s Young Player of the Year award as his energy and trickery played a major part in the club’s ability to beat the odds and stabilise in the Championship.
In the second half of last season, Kent was parachuted into Lee Johnson’s high-energy giant-killing Robins side and added another dimension that lifted a squad that was beginning to tire.
Unfortunately for Bristol City, he was unable to lift the club back into the play-off places but his impact in the second tier of English football shows that he is ready to make the next step and play a starring role for Rangers this campaign.
Guided by a man who knows him well in Gerrard, there should be no limit to what Kent can achieve this season to make Rangers fans forget about his teammates Wilson and Woodburn.
