On Wednesday, Blackpool confirmed the signing of Ryan Hardie from Rangers.
The 22-year-old joins on an initial two-year deal for an undisclosed fee, ending a near decade long association with the Gers.
However, this looks a good move for all concerned right now. Rangers finally receive a fee for a player, Hardie gets a shot at regular football at a decent level, while Blackpool add firepower ahead of a promotion push.
The Seasiders manager, Simon Grayson, is delighted with the signing.
“The club has been monitoring Ryan’s progress for some time and having watched plenty of footage and spoken to fellow coaches and players about him, he’s going to be a good addition who strengthens our attacking options,” Grayson told Blackpool’s website. “We’re getting him at the right age and have beaten some competition for his signature.”
His last comment about beating off others to sign Hardie is an interesting one.
Blackpool’s Ryan Hardie signing a coup?
While links to Blackpool started a while back, there was a distinct lack of reports linking him with any other sides.
Yet, it shouldn’t necessarily be a surprise that there was further interest.
While he suffered injury problems and endured a quiet second half of last season, in December, he showed what he is capable of with five goals in five matches whilst on loan at Livingston. He’s also played and scored for Scotland at multiple youth levels.
At 22, he’s at an age where he’s looking to kick on and standing at 6ft 2″ he offers a considerable aerial threat.
Bearing all those factors in mind, Hardie is an attractive proposition. While he didn’t quite make it at Ibrox, given the right support, he could be a big hit in League One.
