A Rangers homecoming is now officially off the table for John Fleck after the Scotland international midfielder signed a new contract with Premier League-bound Sheffield United.
The 31-year-old midfielder has put pen to paper on a one-year contract extension at Bramall Lane after helping the Blades to promotion from the Championship last season.
It means John Fleck is gearing up for another crack at the Premier League with Sheffield United and Rangers fans who’d earmarked the player for a return to Ibrox might well be disappointed.
John Fleck signs Sheffield United contract extension
Flecky started his career with Rangers and was once tipped for the very top as Scotland’s answer to Wayne Rooney by sections of the media.
Whilst that sort of impact never materialised for John Fleck, the player performed admirably at Rangers after breaking through as a 16-year-old and the midfielder left for Coventry City in the wake of 2012.
Signing for Sheffield United in 2016, John Fleck has been a Blade ever since and the midfielder will be positively buzzing to have committed to another year in England.
Signing on alongside fellow midfielder Ben Osborn, Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom paid tribute to both players ahead of their latest Premier League campaign.
“I’m delighted that these two will be with us for next season’s journey, it is important to have players who know about the Premier League,” said Heckingbottom.
“Both understand the culture of the club and their experience, professionalism and energy will benefit the group.”
Rangers’ homegrown quota thins
Rangers will be on the look out for more homegrown talent and many may well consider John Fleck’s new contract at Sheffield United a blow on that front.
The Gers need at least eight homegrown players – that is players trained in Scotland for three years before their 21st birthdays – in their 25-man squads for UEFA competition with four of them homegrown at Ibrox.
John Fleck falls into the latter category and as Rangers lose the likes of Allan McGregor, who is homegrown at Rangers, and Scott Arfield, who is homegrown in Scotland (Falkirk), the situation is a lingering one.
Currently, only Robby McCrorie (Rangers), John Souttar (Dundee United), Ryan Jack (Aberdeen) and Scott Wright (Aberdeen) represent senior homegrown options in the Ibrox squad.
