Rangers transfer news as James Wilson snubs Ibrox move and Manchester United
James Wilson has opted to snub a potential move to Rangers by signing a two-year contract extension with Hearts, as reported by the Daily Record [Page 56, 29 April].
The talented teenage striker will remain at Tynecastle for the next stage of his career amid reported interest from slite clubs, north and south of the border.
As well as Rangers and Celtic, Manchester United, Leeds and Brighton were all said to have been vying for his signature, but he will remain a Jambo to the delight of the club, including sporting director Joe Savage.
He predicted that the youth prospect is set to go to the very top, such is the ability that he possesses.
“We’re absolutely delighted. We believe James is currently the best striker in his age group and the sky’s the limit for him,” stated Savage.
“There’s so much to like about how he plays. He’s only going to get bigger, stronger and quicker.”
Meanwhile, the 16-year-old expressed his own satisfaction on the new deal: “I’ve worked with the manager (Steven Naismith) for a while now and know a lot of the coaches. You can see where the pathway is going with this club and as a young player, that’s what you want.”
Win some, lose some
Rangers will be disappointed not to have landed Wilson but in terms of youth prospects, there are no guarantees at this fledgling stage of their careers.
There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes in terms of tracking young players, locally, nationally, and internationally.
Ibrox may not be the destination for the Hearts lad, but in the case of Bailey Rice, he is an example of where the Gers were able to attract a top talent from another Scottish club, in Motherwell.
He is progressing well as evidenced by his inclusion in several first-team squads, having already made his bow under Michael Beale as a late sub against Livingston in February.
That was a weekend to remember for the 16–year–old who captained Scotland’s U17 side in a convincing 7-0 victory over Switzerland before coming off the bench, just 24 hours later in the 3-0 win at Almondvale.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox move is wanted by English attacker who is frustrated at his current club – report.