Official Rangers partner issues update on striker Zak Lovelace after Manchester United reserves game
Rangers striker Zak Lovelace was taken off after 30 minutes on Friday (15 September) in the 0-1 reserves defeat against Manchester United.
David McCallum, the club’s B Team Coach, told James, a podcaster for the club’s official partner Heart & Hand, that he did not sustain a fresh injury but was only being eased back after a setback he faced some time ago.
The 17-year-old striker looked unhappy after being brought off after not even being allowed to complete one half of football.
James wrote on Twitter, “David McCallum confirmed to me that Lovelace was brought off after 30 as part of a prearranged plan to return him to fitness following his injury against Stenhousemuir.
“He didn’t look chuffed about coming off.”
Understandable
Lovelace is a player who’s clearly better than reserves football so he’ll want every minute possible to prove why he’s undervalued.
He’s made his senior Rangers debut at the age of 16 and that’s usually an indicator of where a player is based on his ability compared to others his age.
However, it’s important that he’s eased back as injury setbacks at that age can lead to a cycle which will be hard to get out of once he grows older.
It will also be interesting to see how he fares this season and whether or not Michael Beale decides to integrate him into the squad at some point in the coming months.
As of now, he’ll have to be content in the academy as the club have signed a number of senior attackers and there is heavy competition for places there.
In other Rangers news, a never-seen-before player was spotted in Gers training on Monday amid a recent international development.