Former Rangers striker Zak Rudden says he’s “delighted” to have finally broken his duck after scoring his long-awaited first goal for Partick Thistle on Tuesday [Not The Old Firm].
Following loan spells with Falkirk and Plymouth Argyle, Rudden left Ibrox for Firhill in January 2019 on a permanent deal.
The Gers retained ‘options on Zak for the future’ [Rangers.co.uk], though, and Jags boss Ian McCall subsequently provided further information, confirming the existence of a buy-back clause.
Yet, things haven’t gone to plan for the Scotland youth international in Maryhill.
The 2019/20 campaign was cut short by the pandemic and he was forced out of action again in January when all leagues below the Championship were suspended for two months, while he has also struggled with injuries and was sent off in a fixture against Falkirk earlier in the season.
However, things are finally looking up for Rudden, as he scored his first Thistle goal in a 3-0 Scottish Cup Second Round win over Cowdenbeath on Tuesday night, bundling a Joe Cardle cross over the line from close range in the 52nd minute.
“Finally, it’s only taken me a year to score a goal!” said the smiling 21-year-old after the game [Not The Old Firm]. “I’ve been injured a few times while I’ve been here but I’m delighted to finally get a goal and hopefully I can kick on from here.”
“It was annoying that I kept getting injured as soon as I came here. I played two games and then I’d get injured and then I’d come back, play a game and get injured again. Not scoring when I was coming back was getting a wee bit frustrating for me and I think that maybe showed in the game at Falkirk [when he was sent off for dissent].
“Over the break, I worked hard and tried to get myself back to fitness. Obviously, you can’t get back to normal fitness without playing actual football but I feel like I’m not far off and hopefully, a few more games and goals will help me get more confident.”
The victory set up a Third Round clash away to Premiership side Dundee United, but Rudden’s next two outings are set to come in League One, with a trip to Airdrieonians on Saturday followed by a home clash against Forfar Athletic on Tuesday night.
If the former Ger can build on his breakthrough, it’ll be a big help for the Jags, who are bidding to gain promotion back to the Championship following their controversial relegation last season.
Rangers will also be in Scottish Cup Third Round action in early April and the TV details for their tie against Cove Rangers have been confirmed.
