Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked out at all for Leon King at Rangers. While there was excitement about the club securing him down on a longer term deal a couple of years ago, it’s clearly emerged that the lad isn’t up to the level needed at the club, and simply hasn’t impressed.
While supporters suggested he was the ‘stand out’ following a cameo on a night in Amsterdam where the entire team had been abysmal, that was probably about as good as it got for Leon King in the Rangers shirt, and he’s been surplus pretty much since Connor Goldson regained fitness that season.
The latest word is Rangers want to put him out on loan, but that’s just polite speak for washing our hands of him, despite his contract having two and a half years to run.
Nearly 20, so the same age as Ross McCausland, King hasn’t had the same impact the Northern Ireland international has, and while McCausland’s last couple of performances haven’t shone as brightly, the talent is clearly there.
King was admittedly unfortunate – his development was completely ruined by Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
At just 18, he was thrown into the lion’s den well before he was ready, due to Goldson’s injury, and he absolutely and completely drowned.
An honest player, none of this is a criticism at him, but it’s a hard thing for youth to make it at Rangers, and sadly the defender has fallen short.
When a young Rangers player is loaned out, it pretty much means in 95% of cases that they’ve not developed as the club wants, and they are now marketing them for a sale.
The only younger loanee not to have left is Robby McCrorie, and he certainly isn’t happy on the bench…
But yes, King’s development was badly hurt by Gio when he was dragged onto the pitch well before he was ready, and while we can easily blame the injury crisis for why, well, John Lundstram had proven himself capable at the back on occasion and in an emergency, he could have deputised.
Instead King got the call, and while the classic ‘if they’re good enough they’re old enough’ is true, King wasn’t good enough. Or was simply chucked in well before he was ready to be.
He is now likely to get his loan out, and hopefully he finds a new club where his talent level is more suited.