Ejaria hopes Ibrox loan is his Anfield launch pad
RANGERS new boy Ovie Ejaria has vowed to use his Ibrox loan move as a springboard to Jurgen Klopp’s first team at Liverpool. Steven Gerrard returned to his former club to secure the fourth addition of his tenure as he clinched a year-long deal for the midfielder. And the new manager’s overhaul of his squad looks set to continue, with goalkeeper Jak Alnwick deemed surplus to requirements and poised to make a £250,000 move to League One Shrewsbury. There are expected to be more departures as Gerrard looks to put his own mark on the playing staff and Ejaria may not be the last to come in from Anfield. The 20-year-old penned a new, long-term contract at Liverpool prior to agreeing his Ibrox loan deal. And the England youth international, part of the squad who won the FIFA Under-20s World Cup in South Korea in 2017, hopes to use his stay in Glasgow to prepare him for the English Premier League with Klopp’s side. ‘It’s a really great feeling,’ said
the 20-year-old. ‘I’ve been at Liverpool for four years now and I’m just really happy to extend my stay here. ‘It’s a massive club, the club’s doing really well at the moment, so it wasn’t a hard decision at all. I’m just going to keep working hard and see where that takes me. ‘I really want to be a regular at Liverpool Football Club, a massive club — so that’s my aim.’ Ejaria was too old to feature for Gerrard’s Under-18s squad last season. But the Anfield legend has been well aware of the youngster’s qualities since he broke into the first team in 2016. Signed from Arsenal’s youth ranks in 2014, he has clocked up eight first-team appearances for Liverpool. He also played 11 times on loan at Sunderland during their doomed fight against relegation from the English Championship last season. Alnwick, meanwhile, has slipped down the Ibrox pecking order after the return of Scotland keeper Allan McGregor. And the 24-year-old, who played just 11 games after joining from Port Vale in January 2017, is likely to lead an exodus of players from Rangers this summer. Liam Kelly is expected to join newlypromoted Livingston on a two-year deal next week, so Rangers are likely to use Scotland Under-21 keeper Robby McCrorie as cover for McGregor and Wes Foderingham.
CARLOS PENA has been forced to join another Mexican club on loan after Cruz Azul cancelled his year-long switch from Rangers six months early. Necaxa have now taken over the remainder of the 28-year-old midfielder’s loan period.