Steven Gerrard’s comments about the “luxury” that signing Jermain Defoe brings also revealed something about loan Ranger Ryan Hardie.
Hardie has been out on loan at Livingston but recalled for the second half of the campaign. No one was exactly sure if he’d be sent out on loan again.
But it seems that the youngster’s five goals in seven Scottish Premiership games for Livi has earned him a place in Gerrard’s squad. Even if it means mixing things up.
“It’s so exciting to have the options because we haven’t really had that,” Gerrard told Rangers TV.
“We’ve only really had one or two ways of playing and we’ve tended to stick with that.”
The Rangers boss then went on to say he now has “four quality forwards”. Unless I’m mistaken, that’s Alfredo Morelos, Jermain Defoe, Kyle Lafferty and Ryan Hardie.
It’s a wealth of options and pretty much double what we had the first half of the year.
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Ryan Hardie is a Rangers Academy prospect but is yet to really find consistency with the first team.
He has played 17 times for Rangers since making his debut in 2014, but only scored twice. Now 21, Gerrard clearly thinks he is ready to take the step up to the first team.
Hardie’s contract expires at the end of the season and he’s playing for his Ibrox future. Reports today suggest he’s to sign a contract extension this week.
But for the remainder of the footballing year, the young poacher may well be like a new signing at Ibrox.
