Rangers defender Leon King is set to be offered the chance to shine as Premier League clubs Newcastle United, Man United and Leeds United reportedly begin to swarm.
The 18-year-old centre-back has been cast into the Ibrox limelight despite his tender years as a defensive crisis at Rangers sees three important first-teamers resigned to the treatment table.
Connor Goldson – the club’s vice-captain – joined John Souttar and Filip Helander on an increasing list of absentees who will not be seen until after the World Cup break at the very earliest.
It’s set to be a steep learning curve for the Ibrox youngster – who was on the pitch during the 7-1 humiliation against Liverpool and started at Anfield – but it’s an opportunity he is taking in his stride.
Rangers fans have known about the talent of Leon King for a long-time and his story can set an example to the rest of the Ibrox youngsters waiting for an opportunity in the club’s talented youth ranks.
Rangers convinced King to sign on at the club despite interest from the Premier League with the notion of a first-team pathway enough to snare the player’s signature.
Level-headed Leon King to get Rangers chance
Now, with 18 months on his current deal, it’s about proving that Rangers remains the best place for his development as Fabrizio Romano makes mention of watching eyes at Newcastle United, Man United and Leeds United.
Once again starting against Motherwell, it’s clear this level-headed and likeable young man is focusing on life on the pitch at Rangers as he spoke about his exposure to the first-team.
“It is amazing, but I need to keep my head down and keep going,” said King [Rangers].
“I just need to keep working with the coaching staff every single day to make myself better.
“Obviously, we have had a tough week and we came here having to bounce back from a tough defeat in the Champions League.
“At times it wasn’t pretty, but we came here, got the job done and got the three points in the end.
“I know I’m the young one in the team, but I am proud of the players today. We stood up, we were counted, and we got the win.
“At a club like Rangers the expectation is to win, but that is what you need to do for the club, the manager and the fans especially.”
For those top teams watching Leon King at Rangers, the next few months will serve as a major audition and something tells us we’re going to see the young man develop much quicker than anyone anticipated.
Let’s hope so for the good of a Rangers team with plenty of defensive issues at the moment and let’s hope we can convince the kid that the Ibrox side remains the best place for him in the future.
Meanwhile, a clip from Rangers’ coverage of the Motherwell game appears to show another key Rangers player carrying an injury for the side.
