‘Not the same guy’ – Rangers ace Ryan Kent lost his ‘magic’ this season, claims Richard Foster
Former Rangers defender Richard Foster has claimed that Ryan Kent lost some of his “magic” at Ibrox this season.
The 23-year-old initially arrived on loan in Glasgow from Liverpool at the beginning of last term, and impressed immensely during his first campaign in Scotland, picking up the Scottish PFA’s Young Player of the Year award for his efforts.
Subsequently, the Gers made a permanent move for the winger last summer, but he has struggled to replicate his eye-catching form again this season, registering just eight goals and four assists in 33 outings across all competitions.
And his dip has left Foster questioning what has happened to the wide man.
Speaking on the Open Goal podcast, he said: “The season before playing against Kent, he was the toughest player I’d played against.
“He’s rapid, he can play with both feet, he goes inside or outside, he’s a right good player.
“Then they sign him for £5m and I’m thinking ‘who the **** is this guy that’s come back up here?’ because that’s not the same guy who played last year.
“He just seemed to lose the magic he had the year before.”
Has Kent really been that bad this season?
It’s not that Kent has been bad by any means, but he certainly hasn’t hit the heights that he did during his first season in Scotland.
Granted, he has scored two more goals than he did last term, but he also has five fewer assists, and his general creative play just hasn’t looked quite as sharp as it did during his first campaign north of the border.
Kent has made fewer dribbles per game this campaign, as well as having a lower percentage of accurate crosses, a lower xG, and winning fewer duels per 90 minutes, as per Wyscout.
His first season at Ibrox set such a high standard, and all we can hope is that with enough hard work he can reach that kind of level again.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox Exclusive: Former teammate Ivan Toney would be top signing for Gers, claims Alex Bruce.