Ryan Hardie has officially signed for Blackpool.
The 22-year-old ends a near decade long association with Rangers to join the Seasiders on an initial two-year deal.
As of yet, the fee involved in the transfer remains undisclosed.
📝 Blackpool sign striker Ryan Hardie from @RangersFC for an undisclosed fee, subject to international clearance.
🍊 #UTMP https://t.co/B4p888JxAR pic.twitter.com/mNmWrsaB2o
— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) July 17, 2019
“It’s exciting times and I’m looking forward to hopefully pushing the club up the table and seeing how far we can go,” Hardie told Blackpool’s website. “It’s a new challenge coming down here and it’s obviously going to be different playing conditions, a different way to play and a different style of play. I’m looking forward to challenging myself and seeing how I deal with it.”
The 6ft 2” centre-forward turned out 13 times for the Gers first team in the league, scoring twice [Soccerbase]. However, he hadn’t made an appearance since December 2017, spending the last season and a half on loan at Livingston.
Hardie mustered seven goals in all competitions last season. (photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
In Blackpool, he joins a club who finished tenth in the English third tier last season. They have designs on returning to former glories though, and clearly see Hardie as a potential spearhead for their attack.
The signing seems to have gone down extremely well with the League One club’s supporters. Some of whom, believe promotion to the Championship is now on the cards.
Here’s a selection of reactions from Twitter:
https://twitter.com/siguesiguemarko/status/1151462625844387840
https://twitter.com/EveOrEvie/status/1151462694572240896
— tombfctaylor (@TomBfcTaylor7) July 17, 2019
— Jake (@jakemillard21) July 17, 2019
Think we’ve got a good one here.. Rangers fans not happy he’s gone. Scrawny, quick, scores goals…reminds me of someone who put us in the premier league 😜
— Kev whitsey (@KevWhitsey) July 17, 2019
Excellent signing! Some really good attacking options now.
— John B (@Bullwinkle76) July 17, 2019
Great signing @Ryanhardie9 👍
— Joe Russell (@joe_russ) July 17, 2019
https://twitter.com/Ryan_Be1l/status/1151476343605010432