Last chance for Kemar Roofe in a Rangers shirt as Michael Beale offers fresh lifeline
Rangers forward Kemar Roofe has been offered a lifeline by new manager Michael Beale, but surely this is now the last chance for him to prove himself at the Glasgow club.
While the Scottish Premiership’s break came as an annoyance to many players, with any momentum and form halted by the mid-season hiatus, it gave the striker the perfect opportunity to regain match fitness following a sustained period on the sidelines.
His depressing stint at Ibrox this season is plain to see. Roofe has managed just one appearance to his name in the Scottish Premiership and a further 17 minutes in the League Cup this season following a torrid run of injuries.
There is no lack of talent when it comes to the Jamaican international, who was a key figure in the Gers most recent league triumph – but long-standing fitness issues have led to question marks being thrown against his name.
A record of 34 goals in 74 appearances is a highly impressive record for Roofe in Scotland, and although missing much of last season’s Europa League campaign, he did net a late penalty in the final.
Fast forward through the sacking of Giovanni van Bronckhorst to the present and Roofe’s last chance saloon has surely now arrived.
It is interesting to see that Beale specifically praises Roofe during his first official press conference at the club, speaking about the striker’s return from fitness and the abundance of options he will possess when he does.
The ex-QPR manager said the forward was “looking very sharp” in training and hinted he would likely be given an opportunity to impress in the first team. [Rangers Review]
Quite how long Rangers and Beale can justify their selection of Roofe is up for debate. Can the 29-year-old ever get his body up to the optimum condition that is required for consistent first-team football, or is this beyond him now?
The Rangers manager clearly believes a return to form is still possible, but for quite how long, nobody knows.
In other Rangers news, Ally McCoist is concerned by the contract situation of star player Ryan Kent.