Craig Moore in ‘terrible’ admission over exit-linked Rangers man Kieran Dowell
Craig Moore says that he feels “terrible” after admitting to forgetting that Kieran Dowell is still a Rangers player amid rumours linking him to an exit from Ibrox Stadium.
Dowell has made just eight appearances for the Gers in all competitions since signing on a free transfer from Norwich City last summer, recovering from an injury that has kept him out for large parts of this season.
With such a crowded selection of midfielders in the squad, it is easy to lose sight of some when one of them has not started a league match since the opening fixture in August.
“You know what, and this is terrible, I forgot all about him [Dowell],” former Rangers man Moore said, speaking to Go Radio, transcribed by Daily Record on Tuesday (5 December). “That’s a terrible thing to say.
“But it just goes to show you need a little bit of luck especially when you move to a new club, to hit the ground running and show them what you can do.
“When you pick up injuries and you’re not seen for a while, it’s a brutal, brutal industry. You can be forgotten very quickly.
“He has an opportunity to get back into the team but as Clement says he comes into an area, when we talk about recruitment, is massively overloaded. There’s a lot of people in those positions.”
A tough mountain to climb
Whether the 26-year-old is fit enough to play or not, it will take a lot of persuading for Philippe Clement to replace Jose Cifuentes or John Lundstram at the base of the Gers midfield.
And further forward, the attacking midfield role is occupied by Tom Lawrence, Sam Lammers or Todd Cantwell. Transfers under Michael Beale last summer have flooded the squad with midfielders, and the departure of Dowell could be one step closer to fixing that issue.
Clement is also yet to welcome back key players Ryan Jack and Nicolas Raskin, who will make Dowell’s journey to first-team minutes even more difficult.
All fingers point towards a January exit for the former Norwich City man, despite his current contract running out in June 2026. If he has any ambition of playing football, the midfielder will be eyeing a move away from Ibrox.
It would be unfair to say that Dowell is not good enough to compete for a spot in Clement’s starting XI, but there his path to first-team football is blocked and he may be best served looking elsewhere to get it.
In other Rangers news, Clement has opened up on talks he has held with a first-team player and his plans for January.