Leon King rejected big Premier League offer to stay at Rangers at 16
Leon King had an offer to leave Rangers as a 16-year-old but chose to reject the mega-money offered to him, according to The Athletic.
As he rose to stardom in the youth ranks at Auchenhowie, multiple Premier League sides were keeping a very close eye on his progress and one even made an offer.
The wage would have seen him earn £10,000 per week south of the border but he opted to turn it down to remain in Glasgow and continue his development there.
King, now 18 years of age, has proved that to be the right choice as he now nears 20 games for the Light Blues’ senior team, most of which have come this season as he takes the next step.
The Scottish youth international has had pressure applied this season with injuries striking down every other natural centre-half at the club at various times.
Big moment
Nobody probably realised at the time how crucial King’s rejection of the Premier League money was going to be in the future of the football club but it could be a huge moneymaker soon.
The 18-year-old is still very much on the minds of many Premier League sides having broken into the first team under Giovanni van Bronckhorst this season but he will at least go with a whopping transfer fee rather than the compensation he would have brought had he left as a 16-year-old.
Ideally, van Bronckhorst will want him to stay for as long as possible so he can build an entire defence and team around him once Connor Goldson begins to fade with age in a couple of years’ time.
James Sands is another youngster who could strike a partnership with King at the back if needs must but Ben Davies has managed to recover in time to slot in and offer some experience at the very least.
In other Rangers news, this academy graduate had a 10-year plan put in place in 2013 but he is very nearly at the end of it and it’s not gone to schedule.