Kent craves glory after his gap year
RYAN KENT isn’t the only person around his age to have had a gap year. The trouble for the on-loan Liverpool winger is that his was entirely unintentional and became life-affirming only because of the adversity it brought.
Given the chance to broaden his horizons at Freiburg this time last year, the Liverpool player moved to Germany in search of games and goals. He returned to Merseyside in short order having only made six appearances and without one strike to his name.
Come the turn of the year, he headed to Bristol City believing a change of scenery might bring a change of luck. It proved to be wishful thinking. He made just ten appearances and again failed to find the back of the net.
It’s his fervent hope that the deep frustration he has endured over the past 12 months is now a thing of the past.
Rangers, who have acquired his services until the end of the season, not only have a player who Jurgen Klopp sees as a long-term prospect at Anfield, they have a talent who has arrived in Glasgow with a determination to make up for lost time.
‘The whole of last season was quite frustrating to be honest,’ said the 21-year-old.
‘I still learned many things but the lack of game time... people might look upon it as a bit of a wasted season. But I’m here now and I’m looking to build on that.
‘It’s about how you come back from it. A lot of footballers in their careers have to overcome adversity.
‘It’s something I experienced last year. This year, I’ll probably have to prove a lot of people wrong. I think this is the right place to do it.’
He is reluctant to delve too deeply into the reasons behind a failure to spark at successive loan clubs, preferring instead to identify the reasons why he feels he will pen a different narrative at Ibrox.
‘There were certain factors last year that I don’t really want to go into but I didn’t get as much game time as I would have wanted,’ said Kent.
‘I’m here at Rangers now and that’s all I’m concentrating on.
‘The good thing is it’s a year-long loan, so it gives me time to make an impression.
‘I’m at a fantastic club with a lot of history so, hopefully, I’ll get a lot of game time and I can show people what I’m capable of doing.
‘They have got a manager in Steven Gerrard who has played and succeeded at the top level. To learn anything from him that I can is a great opportunity for me. I have known Steven for a while now from when I first went up to Melwood. I was lucky enough to play with him for a period of time and he was someone that I was always in awe of.
‘They also have Michael Beale, who got the best out of me at the younger level and sort of made me the player that I am today. So when the opportunity came around I had to take it.
‘I’d a quick word with Andrew Robertson about the move, as well as a few of the senior players. They all advised me to come here.’
For the small pocket of Rangers fans who made the trip to Osijek on Thursday, there was much to admire about Kent’s first outing for the club.
His pace down the left is electric. There is poise on the ball and the ability to eliminate opponents. But he feels his true self will only be seen further down the line.
‘It was a great experience to make my debut for Rangers,’ he reflected.
‘It was my first 90 minutes since last season, so I am still sharpening up. There were times where I thought I should have beaten my man but that will come as the season progresses and, hopefully, I can start next week.
‘The main thing for me now is to get game time.
‘Hopefully, this season I can add to my game in terms of assists and goals.’
Together with Gerrard and his backroom staff, Kent is part of a growing group at Rangers with Anfield connections.
Like Ovie Ejaria, though, Kent has not yet cut the umbilical cord. For all he is a Rangers player for the time being, he appreciates that Klopp will be watching from afar.
‘It’s good that I’m still valued at Liverpool,’ he added. ‘But I’m always concentrating on where I am at the time.
‘This season I’m at Rangers, so my mind isn’t elsewhere.
‘I’m solely concentrating on how I perform here.’