Rangers might have qualified for the Champions League after years of agony, but their dreadful performance in the competition has cast doubts over Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s future as the Light Blues chief. Their sporting director Ross Wilson must also be criticized for an underwhelming recruitment drive, particularly after securing the Champions League group stage berth. However, the former Southampton chief has now sent scouts to monitor Jerry Yates as revealed by the Scottish Sun.
But they are not alone in the hunt with at least ten clubs keeping close tabs on the Blackpool centre-forward. The representatives of Brentford, Bournemouth, West Brom and Watford were in attendance at Bloomfield Road during the Seasiders’ 4-2 win against Preston North End and the 25-year-old Englishman did not disappoint either as he netted a brace as well as assisted CJ Hamilton in the closing moments of the contest.
Although they are currently 18th in the Championship standings, Yates is currently the league’s highest goalscorer (8 goals) jointly with Norwich City’s Josh Sergent, Oscar Estupiñán of Hull City along with Blackburn Rovers’ attacker Ben Brereton. He is comfortable across the frontline but has lately settled in down the left in Michael Appleton’s 4-3-3 set-up.
Yates progressed through the academy ranks of Rotherham United before leaving permanently for Blackpool a couple of summers ago. He failed to make the cut at his boyhood club with only 52 senior appearances over six seasons, and his loan spells (with Harrogate Railway Athletic, Harrogate Town and Carlisle United) were not impressive enough to grab a regular role in the Millers’ colours.
Meanwhile, a productive stint with League Two side Swindon Town earned him some attention and Blackpool, then competing in League One, gambled on his potential which proved to be a masterstroke. Yates fired in 20 goals en route to clinching promotion to the second tier of the English pyramid and his 8 league goals last season were crucial in terms of claiming a mid-table finish under Neil Critchley.
