Former Rangers academy player, Kieran McKechnie, appears to have made a dig at his former club after signing for Queen of the South [qosfc.co.uk].
The 19-year-old winger was released by the Gers earlier this summer along with fellow Academy players Aidan Wilson, Aidan McAdams and John Balde.
Several months of uncertainty followed but he has now found a new home in Palmerston Park, signing for QoS on a deal until the end of the season.
McKechnie spent over a decade at Rangers but it seems that he was unhappy at how he was treated during the final stages of his time at the club.
“Although I have been at Rangers for 11 years I’m not disappointed at leaving,” he told qosfc.co.uk. “I went to them when I was eight and feel that I proved myself there but I wasn’t getting anything in return so I think it was the right time for me to leave.”
“I see this as a good opportunity for me and hopefully it will be the best thing that has ever happened for me. I want to play first-team football and I see this as a chance to do that at a club who are at a good level in the Championship.”
These are interesting comments from McKechnie at a time when some supporters have questioned whether or not there is a genuine pathway from the Academy to the first team at Ibrox.
However, the winger was not one of the prominent players in the youth set up prior to his release.
Despite being eligible, he wasn’t selected by Graeme Murty for any of the Gers’ five UEFA Youth League matches last season, so perhaps his grievances mainly lie with Academy coaches for restricting his opportunities.
When the Championship season gets underway in October, it’ll be interesting to see if he can nail down a spot in Allan Johnston’s team and impress at senior level.
He’ll have a familiar face alongside him at Palmerston Park, after promising young left-back James Maxwell joined QoS on loan from Rangers on Friday.