Rangers striker Juan Alegria has become the latest Ibrox youngster to move on loan to Championship Partick Thistle as they look to regain promotion back to the Premiership.
The Firhill side have tumbled down the divisions but Ian McCall has welcomed a series of talented Gers youngsters and fringe players to the side in the recent seasons.
Juan Alegria will join fringe Gers keeper Andy Firth and centre-back prospect Lewis Mayo on loan at Firhill until the end of the season
Joining on loan after an impressive start to life with the Rangers B team, the Colombian youngster has netted six times in the Lowland League since joining from Finnish outfit FC Honka in the summer.
Most impressively, the athletic 19-year-old forward also lashed in a hattrick during the 3-2 Challenge Cup win over Alloa Athletic last October.
Yet to make an appearance for the first team, this is a big opportunity for Colombian youngster Juan Alegria as he takes a step up to the Scottish second flight.
Juan Alegria working closely with Roy Makaay at Rangers
For Jags boss Ian McCall, it’s a step up that the north Glasgow club are confident the striker can make, whilst he also praised the striker’s relationship with ex-Bayern striker Roy Makaay.
“We need someone who can start games or have an impact coming on and I’ve watched the boy a few times,” said Partick Thistle manage McCall [National].
“I know Rangers have got high hopes for him.
“The main thing is as a 19-year-old, your one worry about taking a young player is the physicality of it [Championship], but that’s the one part of this boy I’ve got no problem with. He’ll handle it physically for certain.
“He’s got loads of work to do to become a Rangers No9 but I think there’s high hopes for him. I think [Rangers coach Roy Makaay] does a lot of work on him, he was a very good striker himself and we’ll help the boy out in that regard.
“But he does naturally take up really good positions to score a goal from, which is good. It’s another option now, so we’ve got three strikers now.
“Sometimes we play with one, sometimes we play with two and that should see us through now for the remaining games.”
Touching on the other Rangers loans currently at the club, McCall also praised the “relationship” he has with the Ibrox club and claimed Juan Alegria will settle faster as a result.
Speaking of Partick Thistle, read how one of the Rangers players in question faced off against an Ibrox counterpart in a crunch battle of the Ibrox loanees.
