Rangers new boy Calvin Bassey has revealed he could just sense the history when he walked into Ibrox, while insisting he can already tell the stadium will be amazing when full of Gers supporters.

Bassey was signed on a pre-contract from Leicester City, putting pen to paper on a four-year contract at the club, and the move is now complete.

The 20-year old left-back was a regular for Leicester’s Premier League 2 team, helping his side to a second-place finish in the curtailed campaign.

Bassey is excited to be at Rangers and, stepping out at Ibrox, revealed he can sense the history in the famous ground.

“I’m just happy to be here. And hopefully I can be part of the history.

“When I played here, it was empty but you could feel the atmosphere. You could feel a lot of history.

“You could tell when there’s 50,000 people the atmosphere is amazing and I just can’t wait until  all the fans are back and give them 100 per cent.”

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is expected to make more signings before the new Scottish season begins, as he looks to topple rivals Celtic.

This article was originally posted here

Alan Hutton has been left raving after Rangers confirmed the signing of young striker James Graham from Ross County.

The former Gers defender and lifelong fan at Ibrox, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge, admits he has “heard rumours” about how exciting a talent the hot prospect is.

Rangers confirmed last week that they had secured the signing of the 16-year-old hitman from Ross County, with the Daily Record reporting a £45,000 fee.

📝@RFC_Youth are delighted to announce the signing of James Graham from Ross County.

While there was interest from a number of top English clubs, the 16 year-old striker has opted to choose Rangers as the place to continue his footballing development.

📲https://t.co/ToP2H7QPPs pic.twitter.com/LdCh9FBg2H

— Rangers Youth Academy (@RFC_Youth) June 25, 2020

Hutton believes that the Gers have pulled off a great bit of business for the teenager and admits he is excited by the club’s policy of signing up and coming talents.

Hutton told Football Insider: “It shows you the direction that Rangers are going in. I’ve heard rumours about this kid for a while now, he’s only 16, I’m pretty sure he’ll go into the academy squad, £45,000 I think it was for a youngster.

“It’s a good deal for someone with such big potential, it’s definitely one for the future. It shows what Rangers are all about, they’re building something. It’s not just about right now, it’s about years to come. 

“Another young exciting player, hopefully he can hit the ground running and as fans we always like to see the youngsters coming through, getting their chance and hopefully he’ll get that chance.” 

While he is yet to make his senior bow, Graham had been playing for Ross County’s under-18s prior to his move to Ibrox.

He joins Charlie Lindsay as a new recruit for the Gers’ academy, with the Northern Ireland youth international joining from Glentoran in early June.

This article was originally posted here

Rangers target Bongani Zungu is keen to move on from Amiens this summer, but the French side are in no mood to cut their asking price, a stance which has already scared off one interested club. 

Zungu is currently in South Africa and has not yet returned to France due to a lack of flights.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard wants to land the midfielder and the Gers are currently in talks to try to push a deal over the line.

Zungu, who came close to joining Real Mallorca in January, is resolved that he wants to leave Amiens this summer, according to French outlet Le 11 Amienois.

However, Amiens are clear that they will not accept a reduced price for the midfielder and he will only leave if his asking price is met.

The French side value Zungu at between €4m and €5m and are determined that his price will not be knocked down.

It is unclear if Rangers are willing to meet Zungu’s asking price, or are trying to negotiate a lower sum with Amiens.

Strasbourg, who were also keen on landing Zungu, have already been scared off by Amiens’ stance and are looking at other targets.

Zungu made 21 appearances in Ligue 1 for Amiens this season and helped his side play out a thrilling 4-4 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in February.

This article was originally posted here

Brentford have joined Rangers, Celtic and West Brom in the race to sign Peterborough United goal machine Ivan Toney this summer, Football Insider can reveal.

Toney is set to quit the League One outfit this summer for a bumper fee after a 26-goal campaign that has got top clubs keen to strike a deal.

A recruitment source has told Football Insider that west London-based Brentford are also keen on Toney whether they get promoted or remain in the Championship next season.

The Bees swept Reading aside 3-0 last night to climb to third in the table and to within two points of the automatic promotion places.

As revealed by Football Insider last week, Peterborough are holding out for an initial £5m price that could soar to £8m with add-on costs.

Director of football Barry Fry revealed a £4m bid from New York Red Bulls has been turned down flat as he seeks a bidding war to secure a club-record sale.

The fee could be hiked up due to the level of interest in the player, although Fry’s stated hopes of a £15m deal are fantasy.

Significantly, Rangers and Celtic would not be in a position to make a move for Toney until they know for sure what is happening to their own star strikers Alfredo Morelos and Odsonne Edouard.

As for West Brom and Brentford, their budgets will be determined by which league they are playing in next season.

As for Toney himself, he wants to play at a higher level as he eyes the biggest move of his career.

He has just completed the best season of his career, netting 24 league goals – nine more than anyone else – among 26 in all competitions.

In two seasons since joining Peterborough from Newcastle United, Toney has scored 49 goals in 94 matches as well as provided 15 assists.

This article was originally posted here

CASTORE and Rangers are delighted to unveil the 2020/21 Home kit to Rangers supporters around the world and enter an exciting new era in the club’s recent history.

Inspired by the iconic Rangers jerseys of the past – which have been worn by so many illustrious captains as they have lifted countless trophies, the jersey celebrates this history while adding modern performance features demonstrating the best of Castore’s technical engineering expertise.

Director of Commercial & Marketing, James Bisgrove, commented: “The 20/21 Home kit is a significant milestone moment and first step in our exciting new journey with Castore, as the clubs new kit and retail partner.

“We’re looking forward to seeing Rangers supporters both at Ibrox and all around the world wearing the new Castore kits and unveiling more bespoke high-quality Rangers products in the coming weeks.

“We firmly believe the Castore partnership will enable the club to reach our full commercial potential and, in turn, allow us to provide maximum support to Ross, Steven and the first team squad.”

Castore creates products that make athletes better, developing fabrics that are lighter, more flexible and more durable than anything else in the market. Sport at the very highest level often comes down to the smallest margins and next season’s jersey is designed to give Rangers players an edge.

The jersey maintains the famous royal blue colourway of so many great title winning teams throughout history and combines this with a unique new wave pattern, designed to symbolise the Blue Sea of Ibrox and represent a new era for the club.

The ultra-technical fabric further exemplifies the fusion of traditional and modern and the white and red trims represent the iconic Rangers colours with a mesh panelling design to enhance sweat wicking.

A highly technical constructed collar design is a contemporary take on a classic silhouette and is specifically cut to enhance ease of movement and comfort.

The fans of Rangers Football Club are what make the club so special. This jersey has been designed with the fans at its heart and created to inspire.

The replica jersey has a slightly looser cut to the player edition whilst maintaining all of the key performance features:

• Lightweight, breathable and with 5-way-flex capability – superior to any other football fabric in the world right now.
• Fully embroidered Rangers crest.
• Strategically located mesh panelling to enhance ventilation.
• Navy wave front design inspired by the blue sea of Ibrox.
• Back neck design detail featuring a red, white and blue stripe.
• Red, white and blue pattern on arm cuffs is a further nod to the club’s heritage.
• “The spirit of Bill Struth will carry on” emblazoned on the inside neck panel as a tribute to this fan song and the 100-year anniversary of Rangers’ longest serving Manager.
• Rangers and Castore brand insignias printed inside back neck label.
• Specially constructed technical neckline design.
• “Better Never Stops” wording infused into the hem of every garment to inspire players and fans.
• The shirt is made using a sonic welded construction technique to minimise seams and chafing.

Made For The Fans

The fans of Rangers Football Club are what make the club so special. This jersey has been designed with the fans at its heart, created to inspire. The replica jersey has a slightly looser cut to the player edition whilst maintaining all of the key performance features.

To find out more, visit castore.com.

#ANewEra #BetterNeverStops

This article was originally posted here

Rangers defender Filip Helander is looking to kick on and reach a higher level of performance in the 2020/21 campaign, following an injury interrupted season.

The 27-year-old arrived at Ibrox in the middle of July, joining up with Steven Gerrard’s side late in their pre-season preparations and needed time to get up to speed.

Helander made an impact when he reached full fitness though, being handed game time by Gerrard and featuring for the Gers in the Scottish Premiership, Scottish League Cup and the Europa League.

However, a foot injury that he picked up in December ruled him out until late March and with the season brought to an early close, the Swede has been unable to get back to action.

The former Bologna man is now looking towards the season ahead and is keen to reach an even higher level of performance.

“When I arrived, I hadn’t had a pre-season so I was a bit behind everyone else”, Helander told his club’s official site.

“Then when I started to play, both October and November I think I played well and then I got injured.

“Hopefully I can get to an even higher level now.”

Helander made 17 appearances over the course of this season for Rangers and chipped in with two goals, while he also collected four yellow cards.

This article was originally posted here

SPORTING Director Ross Wilson has today announced that a restructure of the Rangers Academy has now been completed with key points as follows:

• Kevin Thomson and Brian Gilmour to coach Rangers B Team as Peter Lovenkrands leaves with our best wishes
• Graeme Murty appointed to Head of Elite Academy Development
• Academy Reorganised as Foundation Phase, Youth Development Phase and Professional Development Phase headed up by Alan Boyd, Mark Spalding and David McCallum respectively with Mark Spalding Confirmed as a Permanent Appointment
• Cameron Campbell to join Professional Development Phase later in the Summer
• Former player, Steven Smith to join the Youth Development Phase

Ross Wilson began a review of Rangers Football Operations upon appointment, and the first stage has now been completed regarding the professional section of the Rangers Academy.

The Academy will now be organised as the Foundation Phase, Youth Development Phase and Professional Development Phase with the U20 Development Group becoming the Rangers B team with increased input from Steven Gerrard and connectedness to the First Team Coaching Staff.

Rangers will continue to strive with aspiration to create a quality Academy and todays changes are the next step on following initial change 5 years ago. Craig Mulholland, Head of Academy, led a revamp of our Academy over that period and Rangers now see some exciting young talents pushing hard towards the first team.

Our Sporting Director, Ross Wilson, today outlined the rationale to rangers.co.uk:

“This is a model I have been working on with Craig Mulholland since I arrived at the Club. Many of the principles we will work to structurally are embedded within the English EPPP structure that I am extremely familiar with. All of the staff involved in the Professional Development Phase move to a role with a new challenge and into an area that we believe really matches their skillsets. Steven Gerrard has regularly integrated our best young players into the first team group, and he will reward any young player showing the level of ability and attitude daily. It is part of our strategic model for the football department that the best talent will get opportunities when they earn them and all of us want to see young players grasp such opportunity.”

Unlike traditional models in Scotland the new framework will allow coaches in each phase to be moved regularly across the phase to maximise players and staff development, as opposed to working exclusively on one team for a long period of time. Graeme Murty will have responsibility for overseeing the coaching and development process across all academy squads.

Ross Wilson outlined the role that Murty will take and the key elements within it:

“Graeme has a talent and passion for coaching that we wanted to extend across the academy as opposed to focussed on one age group. It is important that our game model always evolves with an awareness of best practice and learnings from elsewhere as well as creating an additional layer to the programme for our very best players. This is common in English Academies and I was clear it was something I would add at Rangers. I am pleased that Graeme is the man who will take on this role as it will shape all of our young players development.”

The reorganisation also gives new roles to David McCallum, Kevin Thomson and Brian Gilmour. McCallum will now have responsibility across the U16-U18 groups as head of the Professional Development Phase with Thomson and Gilmour moving to the B Team. Peter Lovenkrands worked with the U20 (B Team) last season and the Club confirmed earlier today that Lovenkrands has now departed to seek new challenges.

Wilson is delighted that there is a perfect blend of personalities and abilities to maximise the development of ‘Gers future stars.

“David is a long standing and respected member of our staff and this opportunity has been created to allow him, in addition to his duties managing the phase, to lead the UEFA Youth League team, which I know is a challenge he is relishing. Kevin Thomson and Brian Gilmour, we feel will really complement each other’s skillsets. Kevin has vast experience as a former Rangers player and his experiences will allow him to undertake a man management role, mentoring our best talent through the difficult transition stage from the Academy to the 1st team. Brian has shown real promise in his coaching work at U16 level and in our school programme at Boclair. Craig and I have been really impressed with his work and we were clear that we would create an opportunity for Brian to challenge himself within the B Team, his ability will ensure he is successful and he has the type of growth mindset that I want to see in our academy staff.”

There will be a new face in the academy coaching ranks as Cameron Campbell will join from the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana. Cameron has had a dual role across Right to Dream and FC Norsjaelland and Wilson is looking forward to welcoming Campbell to Rangers.

“I am excited that we have managed to attract Cameron Campbell back to. Scotland. He is a young Scottish coach who we have been immensely impressed with. Michael Beale first brought him to my attention such is Michael’s passion for supporting the development of young coaches with potential. We are excited about what he will bring to us having really pushed his own boundaries and mindset as part of the successful Right to Dream Academy. It is a project that I have admired for some time. We want to have the most talented and forward-thinking Scottish coaches in our ranks, and I am delighted that Cameron will soon join our team.”

Craig McPherson and Mark Spalding have now been confirmed as permanent appointments to the Academy Coaching team. McPherson will spread his work across the Professional Phase with the U16’s and lead the Boclair Academy programme in the Youth Development Phase which will be led by Mark Spalding and the coaching team will include former Ramgers player Steven Smith. Wilson has worked closely with the McPherson and Spalding in the past:

“Craig McPherson and Mark Spalding are two coaches that I have known a long time and I am delighted that they will both continue with us on a permanent basis. Both Craig and Mark bring huge knowledge but also enthusiasm to the academy in the way they go about their business every day and that’s the sort of people we want around our young players”

Rangers Manager, Steven Gerrard is integral to the development of the young players and creating the right environment at Auchenhowie.

Gerrard commented, “Since the day myself and the coaching staff arrived, we have tried to improve every area of the club and this is the next part of that. Ross and I wanted to ensure that the B Team are as closely aligned to the First Team as possible as well as giving all of the staff involved a new freshness and challenge in their work. We want the training centre to be a vibrant and positive place for young players to learn and this helps us keep moving in the right direction.”

This article was originally posted here

RANGERS can confirm that Peter Lovenkrands is leaving the Club to pursue his career elsewhere.

Peter made over 180 appearances, scoring 54 goals for the club, winning league titles and cups including a stoppage time winner in the 2002 Scottish Cup Final.

As a coach he has developed his off field skill set in the Rangers Academy working with various age group squads. Peter has had a positive influence on many of our young talents in the academy.

We respect Peter’s desire to pursue his career elsewhere and would like to thank Peter for his contribution to the club as a player and a coach. We wish him every success in his future endeavours.

This article was originally posted here

Rangers coaches are convinced rising star Stephen Kelly can be the next Ryan Jack after being blown away by his recent development, Football Insider understands.

The 20-year-old is viewed as one of the most promising talents at Ibrox and has agreed a new three-year contract.

A source at the Glasgow giants have told Football Insider that the Gers’ backroom staff have been hugely impressed by Kelly and believe he could make a big impact in the senior side in the coming years.

As he continues his development, Stephen will spend season 2020/21 on-loan at @spfl side @RossCounty, with Rangers retaining a January break clause.

➡️ https://t.co/ekvBQtmMlL pic.twitter.com/L0JqjKRm36

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) June 24, 2020

The hot prospect spent last season on loan at Championship side Ayr, where he played 33 times and won the club’s young player of the year award.

He was handed a new deal running until 2023 upon his return to Ibrox earlier this month before being shipped out temporarily to Premiership outfit Ross County for the 2020/21 campaign.

Despite having played just once for Steven Gerrard in Rangers’ senior side, Kelly has been singled out as a potential first-team star by the manager’s backroom staff.

The source told Football Insider: “The coaching staff really like him, they see something in him. He’s getting compared to the likes of Ryan Jack and Steven Davis – that’s high praise.” 

Kelly has played at every youth level from the under-16s to the under-21s for Scotland so far including in the under-21 European qualifiers in late 2019.

Having helped Ayr United finish fourth in the Scottish Championship last season, he will be joining a Ross County side who ended the Premiership campaign in 10th.

This article was originally posted here