Ibrox View: Why last season’s Old Firm hero can be the star again for Rangers
Rangers take on Celtic in the first Old Firm of the season on Saturday and Ryan Kent could be the key man as the Gers look for another huge away win.
Kent scored in the away win at Celtic Park last season and the Englishman could be vital again today if the Gers are to keep up their unbeaten start to the season.
He already has five goals and five assists in his 12 competitive outings for his side this season and he will be looking to add to that tally when he takes to the field at Celtic Park.
The stats show how important Kent has been for Rangers this season.
65.3% of Kent’s total actions this season have been successful, proving that he is making the right choices more often than not. He has also registered an 87.1% pass accuracy, which would be a good stat for a centre midfielder never mind a winger. (Wyscout)
His crossing has also been solid. Kent’s crossing accuracy this season is 32%, which doesn’t sound that impressive, but he is performing better than his Celtic counterpart Ryan Christie, who is registering a slightly lower 31.8% crossing accuracy. Kent is also attempting more crosses than his Old Firm rival, showing how important he has been on the wings for the Gers.
The 23-year-old is also averaging three progressive runs per 90 minutes in all competitions this season and it’s those kinds of runs that could cause havoc against Celtic’s defence.
Kent’s recent form is also impressive, in the Gers last outing against Ross County Kent attempted six dribbles and all of them were successful. He also won 58% of his offensive duels against Ross County, which puts him in good stead going into what could be a very physical match against their city rivals.
The Englishman will want to have an impact like he had at Celtic Park last season, rather than the year before that when he hit out at Scott Brown and was retrospectively banned. But there is no doubt Kent can be the star for Rangers if he plays at his best.
In other Rangers news, ‘Really big boost’ – Exclusive: McLeish reacts to early Rangers team news v Celtic.