RYAN WILL TURN OVER A NEW BELIEF
Old boss Lee tips Kent to get back to his best and be Gers’ shining star
Steven Gerrard wants more new signings for Rangers this summer.
But irrespective of who arrives at Ibrox, supporters will still look to Ryan Kent for the creative spark that can help stop Celtic’s 10 in-a-row.
When the winger was lured from Liverpool in a £ 7million deal last September, Gers fans felt he could be the final piece of the jigsaw in ending their title drought.
And in f lashes the 23- year- old showed his worth.
The stunning opening goal in the December 2-1 victory over the Hoops at Parkhead.
The devastating run and finish in Braga to beat the Portuguese and send Gers into the Europa League last 16.
But Kent wasn’t consistent enough. In terms of the numbers he produced, even gaffer Gerrard would have expected more.
His seven league goals was the same as Liam Donnelly at Motherwell.
As for assists, Ross County’s centreback Marcus Fraser notched more.
With what’s at stake, this season is huge for Rangers and Gerrard. And the Ibrox boss will need his star turn to produce.
Lee Johnson, Kent’s gaffer while on loan at Bristol City in 2018, once dropped him because he wasn’t delivering.
But he admits now that he felt GUILTY at bombing the wide man.
Not only did it reportedly cost City £ 300,000 – Liverpool had agreed a deal that Kent had to get game time – but Johnson knew the talent he had.
He’d watched him develop during a previous loan stint at Barnsley and believed he was getting, potentially, a £10m player at Ashton Gate.
That’s why Johnson is convinced Kent WILL turn it on for Rangers and Gerrard this season.
He has never lost faith in what Kent’s capable of and says there were mitigating factors as to why it didn’t happen for him in a Robins shirt.
But he also admits it’s up to the player himself now to improve and take his game up a notch if Rangers are going to be successful.
Johnson told MailSport: “I’m certain Ryan can get better and have a big season for Rangers this year. He’s still young, you have to remember that.
“You can see signs of it at various different times. Ryan now has to take his game to the next level.
“He’s got a very good manager in
Steven and one that really believes in him, which is important. Ryan will feel that belief.
“And I think it’ll be an interesting season up there.
“It’s not an easy league and it’s not easy for young players going into it.
“There are some very good, hardened professionals up there.
“The other thing is
Ryan has to cope with unbelievable pressure.
“Playing for either of those clubs, Rangers or Celtic, brings that. It’s everywhere.
“If you go down to the shop you’re either getting pelters – or someone is giving you a hug telling you that you’re a legend.
“And that can change by the day, or by the performance. So it takes a certain personality to thrive off that.
“When anyone plays against those clubs, they naturally raise their game.
“Sometimes that can play into the hands of a winger, someone who’s agile and bright on the ball like Ryan.
“But sometimes it can be a detriment to his game.
“I still think he has areas to improve on. But I know he’s at a really good club, with an excellent manager who will help him do that.”
Kent managed just 12 appearances in a Bristol City shirt after Johnson brought him there.
He failed to score a goal, got a single assist and was criticised by a section of the support.
Johnson admits that it took the player time to get in sync with his team-mates.
And the Robins boss still feels frustration at the fact Kent didn’t show his bes t form at the Championship club. But he says it had nothing to do with ability and insists he would have gladly taken Kent back again before Rangers made their move for the Englishman.
He said: “Ryan’s a really good kid. I love him as a player and I’d watched him a lot when I was manager at Oldham and then Barnsley.
“He’d been great at Oakwell the year before I got him to Bristol City, so I was really keen to get him.
“We were flying at the time and his signing was seen as a big boost, but it didn’t work out as well as all of us would have hoped.
“That probably started withw the fact he’d had a groing strain at Freiburg in Germany before he camec to us.
“He’d gone back to LiverpoolL and hadn’t trainedt for six or seven weeks.w Eventually, he got backb training with their Under-U23s.
“But he went from that tot coming into an estable ished side at BristolB City and we were doingd well.
“We had just got to thet Carabao Cup semi-sfinal and even though Ryan did some good things, it took a little bit of time for him to get into sync with everyone else.
“By that time, we were not on the best run and he got a bit of grief from the crowd.
“I saw his confidence dip. But in terms of talent – I went on record to say that he’s a fantastic young player.
“If he’d come through our academy a t
Bristol
Cit y, w e would have been absolutely raving about him. When I left him out of the team, I did feel an element of guilt, knowing how good he was.
“But for whatever reason we just couldn’t get the best out of him.
“The injury meant he couldn’t get the best out of himself.
“But it wasn’t as if, all of a sudden, I didn’t believe he was a good player.
“I’d have taken Ryan the year after that as well, if I could have done, with a pre-season in him.
“I didn’t have a single problem with Ryan, he’s a top kid. I like the way he trained
– it was just unfortunate for him that it didn’t quite work out here.”
Johnson knows the
Scottish game well, having spent time at both Hearts and
Kilmarnock du r ing h i s playing career.
Despite the problems the coronavirus pandemic ha s t h rown up, he expects a fascinating Premiership campaign – which could see Rangers get closer to Celtic. He said: “It’s going to be really interesting.
“That’s coming from someone who appreciates the SPFL, the quality and the clubs because
I’ve played there. I appreciate the passion in Scotland.
“I think it will be i nteresting for a number of reasons.
“Clubs will have to cope with al l the
Covid scenarios but
Rangers might see that as an opportunity to grow and capitalise again.”
Ryan has to cope with unbelievable pressure. Playing for either of those clubs, Celtic or Rangers, brings that
When I left him out of the team I did feel an element of guilt, knowing how good he was. But for whatever reason we couldn’t get the best out of him. But it wasn’t as if, all of a sudden, I didn’t believe that Ryan was a good player