A surprise new contract for Rangers striker?

With Rangers handing out bumper new deals to a number of our players in recent weeks and months, one long-term player may well be looking for one too.

Ryan Hardie, our 20-year-old, 6’ 2” striker has started in 3 league fixtures and 1 Scottish Cup appearance since going on loan to Livingston who are currently sitting in 2nd place in the Championship title race since he arrived at Almondvale this January.

Ryan has scored 4 goals in the process and is out of contract at the end of this season and therefore Rangers would not get any transfer fee if any other club comes in for his services – it doesn’t make sense to me that a young player with enormous potential gets let go for free, so don’t let it happen.

He has been with the light blues since 2010, is from Stranraer and is a dyed in the wool Rangers supporter – just the type of person the fans like to see in their side.

If he is not quite good enough for our first team though, he is certainly worth a place at the likes of Kilmarnock, Dundee or Ross County for example.

Get him signed on a minimum of a 2-year-contract until he is still only 22 and loan him out to an SPL team next season. This will give him more experience and also to see how well he can do at a higher level of competition. The team will also pay his wages and for all expense.

He has been capped for Scotland at U17’s, 18’s, 19’s, 20’s & 21’s level and scored 9 goals during that period between 2012 – 2016.

He only joined up with Livingston in January and already appears to be a top striker with them. What a brilliant move for Livie, signing him for the club until this summer. He scored twice on Saturday as he ran the line with aplomb and helped to thrash league leaders St Mirren 4-1.

Even if Murty doesn’t rate the boy, he has to think about Rangers getting back the money they have paid for him for the last 8 years of developing his talent.

There is no doubting his potential to score goals and as his football skills progress with more experience, he can only improve as he matures more.

Please get him signed in the next few weeks to secure his immediate future and Rangers’ own potential profit.