Rangers youngster Kai Kennedy has started a B team match against Dundee United amid reports claiming the Ibrox club have told him he is free to leave.
The youngster is set to start the match alongside a host of squad players with a stronger Gers team likely to take to the field at Ibrox against Motherwell later tonight.
Alongside Kennedy, the likes of Greg Docherty, Greg Stewart and Glenn Middleton have all been given a chance to show what they can do.
B team coach Kevin Thomson also spoke to RangersTV ahead of the match and praised the opportunity being given to the club’s Academy stars against “this level of competition.”
With Kennedy reportedly stalling over a new contract, the Scottish Sun claimed Rangers had told the young winger he was free to leave amid links to Man City, Bayern Munich and AS Roma.
Kennedy was also left out of the squad which travelled to France to play Lyon and Nice and missed out on the club lifting the Veolia Trophy.
Rangers fans also believed manager Steven Gerrard was aiming an indirect barb at Kennedy with comments about “egos” in the Ibrox Academy.
“I want to bring academy players in,” said Gerrard [RangersTV].
“But first and foremost they’ve got to commit to the football club.
“If you don’t commit to the football club you’re not going to be seen anywhere near me.
“They’ve got to be good enough, they’ve got to train every day like it means the world to them to play for Rangers.
“I’ve been hearing a few things down at the Academy that there’s been a bit of ego about so they won’t be around me.
“I’ll only play the players that show me on a daily basis that they’re good enough to be around us.”
Gerrard’s stinging message may well have worked with Kennedy back in the fold for the visit of Dundee United to the Rangers Training Centre.
