New gaffer hopes his relationship with Kent will finally see the £7-million man produce a return
Michael Beale has revealed that Ryan Kent doubted he was good enough to play for Rangers.
The issue came up during a phone conversation between the pair before the 2018 loan move that led to the winger’s £7-million switch from Liverpool a year later.
While all the talk now is of Kent’s contract ending in the summer, and the possibility of his wage demands pricing the Light Blues out of the market, Beale stressed his ongoing commitment to the 26-year-old.
“Ryan is one of the players I came back to Rangers to work with because we have such a good relationship,” said the new boss ahead of Thursday’s visit of Hibs.
“People think coaching is all about tactics. But it’s actually about the relationships you have, and the feeling you have towards the other person in that relationship.
“My way is to make that journey very personal. I’ve lived that with Ryan, from when he was a 14-year-old at Liverpool, until now.
“I have always been a strong guide on his journey, and we have always been at complete ease with each other.
“We have known each other for so long. I know his parents, and they come to every single game.
“Although we e ha have e only spoken on the phone two times ever in 12 years, there is an honesty there.
“The first call was when I rang him to see if he was coming to Rangers, and he said he wasn’t sure if he was good enough – believe it or not.
“The second was just in the last couple of weeks when he called to find out if I was coming back.
“I think he did that because he didn’t call when I left with Steven Gerrard!”
Beale believes Kent’s doubt is evidence of his character, which, he argues, is markedly different from his public persona.
“A lot is written about certain players, but Ryan Kent is one of the best players in this league,” he said.
“I think sometimes he wants to do so well that he does too much, and confuses himself as a result.
“He is sensitive. He thinks a lot, and he cares a lot.
“That probably comes out sometimes in his body language. “We had a conversation, all of us, with him a few years ago when I was here with Steven, and there was a lot in the media about a club being after him. “He said then he didn’t want to leave here until he had won something.
“So fair play to him. They are the background conversations people don’t see.”
Beale is dismissive, too, of the recurring criticism of Kent that he has failed to deliver a big enough return on the investment Rangers made in him.
“One or two things have been said about the fee paid for him, but Ryan has been here a long time now, and he has certainly paid that back,” he said.
“He has done so by being part of a team that has won a league, won God knows how many European games, got to a Europa League Final and played in the Champions League.
“The output is the whole pie.” Whether Kent is still around for Rangers’ next continental campaign remains to be seen. Several English clubs are known to be monitoring his situation.
In the meantime, Beale’s comments reveal his belief he can make a significant contribution in the Old Firm derbies to come in the rest of the season.
“I think Ryan tends to play well in the big games,” he said.
“Looking from afar, he was the best player on the park against Dortmund last year.
“On that night he looked top. This is a player who wasn’t playing at Bristol City before he came to Rangers, so you can see a lot of work has been done with him.
“I think the key for Ryan is to remember less if more.
“If he plays with a smile on his face and keeps his energy pure, the other things will take care of themselves.”