They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone and in the case of £7m Rangers man Ryan Kent, they may well be right.
Kent, 24, is a talismanic presence for the Gers and the go-to big-game player for a team filled with talent but at the moment lacking leadership or responsibility in front of goal.
The first-half display in the Jekyll & Hyde Gers performance against Hearts was amongst the club’s best this season but even then the team were overly reliant on a wasteful Alfredo Morelos.
Rangers spurned a host of chances in the game – mostly via the Colombian – before Hearts found a way back into the match at the back post after Allan McGregor uncharacteristically flapped for a corner.
Whilst it is important not to take the match out of context – Rangers were far and away the better side and ultimately only have their selves to blame for dropping points – the driving, talismanic edge of Kent is missing from the side.
Rangers’ £7m man Ryan Kent amongst first names on teamsheet
Normally one of the first names on the teamsheet, the winger has not been immune from criticism in recent months and hasn’t always hit the top of his game.
But given the player is technically the most expensive in the squad, and someone very rarely dropped by the backroom team, his influence is clear and missing that kind of player is sure to have an impact.
For a Rangers side currently operating with a blunt arrowhead, the return of Kent could be a timely one for both the Gers and Steven Gerrard.
Kent – looking on from the sidelines – has finally got that rest many believed the winger needed and after a spell out of the side can return afresh looking to leave the right impression.
Rangers fans might not have known what they had till he was gone, but the stage is set for Kent to show them why he’s the main man upon his return in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, Rangers fans have also been jumping to the defence of a new Ibrox star many believe is being “scapegoated” after the result against Hearts.
