When Mark Warburton signed Joe Dodoo for Rangers in the summer of 2016, it looked like a clever bit of business.
He was an England youth cap who had scored a hat-trick on his Leicester City debut and who had also seen game time in the Premier League.
For little more than training compensation, Joe Dodoo arrived at Rangers with a lot of potential but now, when he should be at his peak, finds himself training on his own, as told to The Athletic.
Joe Dodoo at career crossroads as former Rangers striker looks for club
After leaving Rangers, the 28-year old has seen a period of short term deals not really amount to anything but is optimistic about what the future holds as he trains on his own:
“There are opportunities. I am just waiting to see what is the best fit for me and the way I play, and the right environment for me.
“I just need to polish up on a few things. I have had a pretty solid career so far. It’s been good. There has been a lot of adversity, a lot of issues.
“Covid-19 was a big problem for me as I was due to come back to a pretty good level and that messed up a lot of things.
“It’s been really up and down, but I’ve been really happy with the way I dealt with it and how I’ve been on the pitch because it’s been really good still in terms of my contribution on the pitch.
“I am just looking to move forward now.”
In his first season at Rangers he was a bit part player but still managed a goal or assist every 100 minutes or so.
Joe Dodoo wasn’t short of pace and was comfortable on the ball, however, in a team that was struggling, he never got up to the pace and intensity of playing for Rangers.
In another time, with better players around him, he might have fulfilled his potential.
Rangers was a step too far but, as a free agent, there should be clubs in the SPFL asking him the question.
After such an impressive professional debut for Leicester City, I don’t think he would have ever envisaged being without a club when he should be at his peak.
If only Harry Forrester had squared it to him.
