Rangers are facing a repeat of Boyd for signing the “uncapped” star

Glasgow Rangers they have signed players for second or even third spells at Ibrox over the years with varying degrees of success.

Kenny Miller returned to the Gers in the summer of 2008. Despite playing for Celtic the year before, the forward scored 56 goals over the next two and a half seasons, helping the club to two domestic titles before leaving in January 2011.

Craig Moore spent several years at Rangers during the nine-in-a-row era before moving to Crystal Palace in 1998. After an unsuccessful few months in England, the Australian centre-back returned to Ibrox and became a prominent member of the squad. until he left in 2004, winning many trophies in the process.

However, not every player who returns for a second spell enjoys this kind of success. Several players have joined Rangers in the past in an attempt to replicate their first spell, but it just hasn’t gone as planned.

Names such as Kyle Lafferty, Mark Hateley and even the great Jim Baxter could not replicate the magic that was prominent during their initial time at the club, but one of the worst comebacks in recent memory was that of Kris Boyd in 2014.

Kris Boyd’s second spell at Rangers

Boyd was a machine during his first stint with the Gers between 2006 and 2010. He may not have been the most hard-working or skilful player in the starting XI, but the moment the ball was played into the box, Walter Smith wanted just one player to put an end to it – Boyd.

The Scottish forward has been incredibly clinical since his move from Kilmarnock, going into the scored 128 goals which saw the Ibrox side return to prominence under Smith, with Boy winning six trophies.

Ahead of the 2014/15 season, the hitman returned to Glasgow hoping to repeat these feats as the club looked to return to the top flight after a three-year absence.

Despite playing 43 times for Rangers during that campaign, Boyd managed just ten times as they failed to get relegated and the striker left to join Kilmarnock for a third time.

With the January transfer window now open, the former crowd favorite appears to be being linked with a return to the Light Blues this month.

If he does, it could be a repeat of the Boyd disaster rather than a repeat of Miller or Barry Ferguson…

The Rangers facing Boyd is a repeat in January

Ryan Kent left Rangers in the summer 2023 after his contract expired, joining Turkish side Fenerbahçe ahead of next season.

Things did not go well for the winger on the continent and he was eventually released by José Mourinho after he made only 19 appearances in just over 12 months.

He has been without a club since October and, of course, there have been rumors of a return to Rangers, but things seem to have picked up speed recently.

According to the report from Turkish outlet Kontraspor earlier this week, Kent was offered a six-month contract with an option to extend for a year if things go well, to kick-start a career that has stalled since leaving Scotland in 2023.

There is no doubt that Clement needs some reinforcements ahead of the second part of the season, but is Kent really the answer? Especially given the amount of talent who can play on the left wing at the club?

Ryan Kent Rangers Stats

If the Belgian signed the same player who shone in his first three seasons at Ibrox, a return would certainly be a priority for the club.

After signing on loan from Liverpool, the youngster registered 15 goal contributions which was enough to convince Steve Gerrard to try and secure his signature permanently.

With just a few hours left in the 2019 transfer window, the Rangers have got their man. The The £7.5m fee was one from the highest the Gers paid and over the next two seasons, it looked like it could turn into a bargain.

21 goals and 18 assists were registered during that time and the Light Blues won the 2020/21 Premiership title, with Kent even described as “unplayable” during the race to the 2022 Europa League final reporter Andrew Dickson.

However, his final season was a poor one with Kent scored only three timesand it was obvious that his head was somewhere else.

Why the Rangers Shouldn’t Sign Ryan Kent

Yes, the wing would be available for free, but that doesn’t mean Clement should rush into an over-the-top deal. If nothing else, a Kent move should be avoided, especially judging by his form since the summer of 2023.

During her first season in Turkey, the former Liverpool starlet registered only three goal contributions in 18 appearances in all competitions.

In the Turkish Süper League, the last term, Englishman created only two big chances and an average of 0.6 key passes per game, while managing only 0.9 dribbling attempts per game.

Compared to their positional peers in the European Conference League during 2023/24, Kent it doesn’t even manage to rank in the top 50% for total shots (1.13), shot creation actions (3.01), goals without penalties (0) and touches in the attacking penalty area (2.44) per 90.

Based on that, does a move for Kent sound justified? With Nedim Bajrami, Ianis Hagi and even Hamza Igamane being used on the left flank lately, they may not even make the starting 11.

Add to that Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo returning from injury and this is a position that looks like quality.

This is a potential move the manager should avoid, as it could end up being a repeat of Boyd’s dismal second spell at Ibrox.