Rangers fans have suggested on social media that Steven Gerrard already has the perfect replacement for Bongani Zungu at Ibrox, in Stephen Kelly.
Zungu left Glasgow earlier this week as his loan spell from Ligue 2 side Amiens came to an end.
The South Africa international made 20 appearances in Light Blue but the majority of those were late substitute outings to help close out results, so he received less than 500 minutes of playing time.
Nonetheless, his departure leaves a gap in the squad and some supporters are backing Kelly to fill it.
When popular Twitter fan account Rangers Culture asked if fellow fans could see the young midfielder or Kai Kennedy featuring for the first team next season, more Bears backed Kelly for a meaningful 2021/22 breakthrough.
https://twitter.com/SirFlanno/status/1395096160919072780
There’s significant support for Kelly and it’s no surprise given his efforts over the past two seasons.
The 21-year-old excelled on loan in the Championship during the 2019/20 campaign, winning the Young Player of the Year award at Ayr United, before making the leap to the Premiership.
He wasn’t a nailed-on starter at Ross County throughout their recently-completed top-flight campaign but he racked up 29 appearances across all competitions and notched three assists.
Kelly didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet for the Staggies but he impressed with his ability on the ball and range of passing, while he also regularly took on set-piece duties.
With over 50 senior appearances under his belt and a Rangers contract stretching until 2023, he’s in an excellent position at this stage of his career and perhaps Ibrox first-team exposure does beckon.
A lot will depend on the club’s activity in the transfer market, though, and on how Kelly performs if and when opportunities arrive during pre-season.
In other news, a Rangers loanee was hooked in an EFL playoff semi-final as his side slipped to a potentially costly defeat.
