Rangers winger Jake Hastie has joined Ibrox-linked Northern Irish champions Linfield on loan for the remainder of the season.
The ex-Motherwell youth joined the Gers in the summer of 2019 but has struggled to recapture the goalscoring form from right-wing that encouraged former Gers boss Steven Gerrard to pounce.
Jake Hastie will join up with ex-Rangers striker David Healy at Linfield and the former Northern Ireland striker has high hopes for what ex-Fir Park winger can bring to Windsor Park.
“I am delighted to announce the signing of 23 year-old wide player Jake Hastie on loan from Rangers until the end of the season,” said Healy [Linfield].
“We’ve been in discussions with Jake over several weeks and I’m delighted to have finally got this Ioan deal concluded.
“Jake will certainly strengthen the squad and give us further options over the coming months.
“He’s got plenty of experience from playing in Scotland and we are looking forward to him joining up with us next week.
“I know the news of his signing will be a real boost to the club and the supporters who will no doubt make him feel welcome and at home.”
It hasn’t worked out for Linfield bound Jake Hastie at Rangers
Joining Rangers for a reported £300k [Express] after a blistering breakthrough at Motherwell, there were high hopes for Jake Hastie but this loan move to Linfield is the latest in a series of part-time switches since joining the ranks at Ibrox.
Scoring seven goals in the second half of the 18/19 campaign for Well, ex-Rangers boss Steven Gerrard claimed Rangers were “delighted” to pip clubs down south to sign the then 20-year old.
But after initially signing a four-year pre-contract at Rangers, with 18 months still to run on the original deal, barring a major turnaround this will not be renewed.
Breaking through into the Rangers side in the Europa League qualifiers against St Joseph’s, the 6-0 win at Ibrox was one of two appearances Hastie has made for the Gers.
The other came in a 3-0 League Cup win over East Fife in August the same year.
Prior to the Linfield move, Jake Hastie has spent loan spells with Rotherham United, Motherwell and most recently Partick Thistle but has never recaptured the form that convinced the Gers to move two-and-a-half years ago.
The winger moves to Linfield with the best wishes of everyone at Rangers but it looks like curtains at Ibrox for a player who never quite lived up to his early potential.
Speaking of Rangers transfers, here’s why some reckon that the Ibrox club should stump up £500k in order to preserve their chances of banking up to £40m.
