Ryan Kent’s permanent move on the last day of the transfer window came as a surprise to many as Gerrard had previously insisted that the Bears don’t have the finances to match Liverpool’s valuation. Rangers decided to blink at the last moment as they coughed up £7m to sign the Liverpool winger permanently after he had impressed in the previous season on loan.
However, Kent is yet to get into his elements so far this season. Maybe buoyed by excitement, Steven Gerrard decided to play him as soon as he was signed and he suffered a hamstring injury against Livingston which saw him miss close to a month of action. Credit to Rangers though for still maintaining their title charge as they were able to cope with the loss of the English winger well.
Former Aberdeen striker and pundit Noel Whelan has tipped Kent to be a new player after the international break. After the hamstring injury, it has been quite evident that Gerrard has tried to use him carefully as Kent didn’t play in too many back to back games.
Whelan believes Kent will hit the ground running soon
Whelan though feels that it could change after the international break. Speaking to Football Insider, he said, “Ryan Kent’s had a difficult season so far, with the move and the injury, He came back too early and paid the price for that.
“But you could see against Porto he was starting to get back to his best. His dribbling, ball carrying, quick feet and ability to change direction are top class, and he offers something totally different to the other Rangers players. He will be working more on his fitness during the break. You’re going to see a new player at Ibrox after it. No doubt about that.”
Gerrard and the team management will be hoping for the same as they decided to break the bank to sign him. Kent had suffered a dead leg just before the international break as well, but he is expected to be fine when the Premiership resumes.
What should Gerrard do?
We would want the manager to be cautious with him for a few more weeks as the club would be hoping to get him a hundred percent fit and running when the fixture congestion starts. Rangers will resume their campaign on 24th November against Hamilton.
The manager will likely have an eye on two big clashes; one against Feyenoord on 28th of this month and then the League Cup final against Celtic on the 8th December. Those are the two games where Gerrard would expect his marquee signing to turn on the heat. Hopefully, the Englishman will have enough time from now until then to get back to his best.
