Rangers FC have officially released Harry Forrester from his three-year contract at the Ibrox Stadium, as per mutual agreement between both parties. The 27-year-old still had a season to go in his deal but was guaranteed of almost no senior team involvement under Steven Gerrard. Now, the midfielder is free to join any club he likes and the new Gers manager will look to invest his wages in other necessary additions.
Is Forrester another mishit, packed with top-pedigree talent but the wrong attitude to be able to fulfill his potential? Clearly, Mark Warburton saw something in the Englishman who was capped 9 times by his country’s U16 and U17 sides. The winger arrived at the Ibrox midway through the 2015/16 season on a loan agreement from Doncaster Rovers. He opted to move permanently after a successful six-month stint in the Scottish Premiership and went on to register 44 appearances and 8 goals for the club.
As Warburton got replaced by Pedro Caixinha, Forrester quickly got dropped down the pecking order and Graeme Murty sanctioned his loan move to AFC Wimbledon last term. He made 43 appearances for the League One side, scoring 3 goals and furthering 8 assists. The 27-year-old featured in multiple positions for Wimbledon throughout the 2017/18 season and helped the club maintain their position in the English third division. However, with Rangers FC signing Scott Arfield, Jamie Murphy and Ovie Ejaria this summer, Forrester no longer has a place in the team.
He started out in the Watford youth ranks but later signed with Aston Villa to make his professional debut a for the club’s U18 side in the FA Youth Cup. He was loaned out to Kilmarnock but eventually was released by the Clarets and Blues.
Brentford signed him in the summer of 2011 and featured him in 69 games over the next 2 seasons. After the completion of his contract, Doncaster gave him a new deal in June 2013. The winger scored 11 times and set up 7 assists in 66 appearances for the newly promoted side.
He has been blessed with all the right traits of making it into the big leagues but unfortunately could not be his best self at Glasgow. Getting him off the books is an astute move indeed as Gerrard looks set to launch a refurbished challenge for the league title next term.
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In the current market, the former Liverpool and Three Lions star will have to make use of every single penny available to him in order to put together a crew in the same talent level as rivals, Celtic. The offloading of Forrester is thus a good decision taken, from both the club and manager’s point of view, given the current situation.
