Tom Lawrence sends new message as retirement confirmed
Tom Lawrence has sent a message after a former Rangers star announced his retirement.
Rangers have been nothing short of dismal this season, and currently sit 13 points away from Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
A 1-0 defeat against Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup has led to plenty of speculation over the future of Philippe Clement, with many around Ibrox wanting him sacked now.
A slight distraction may have arrived on Thursday, though.
Tom Lawrence reacts to retirement away from Rangers
Martyn Waghorn announced his retirement on 13 February via Instagram as he posted to confirm his decision to bring an end to his career on the pitch.
The striker made himself a regular at Ibrox between 2015 and 2017 and scored 28 goals across 57 appearances in all competitions during his time in Scotland.
Since he departed from the Scottish Premiership, Waghorn has played for several different English sides, his longest stint being at Derby County from 2018-2021.
Most recently, the forward played for Northampton Town but left back in December after his contract was mutually terminated.
At 35-years-old and without a club, Waghorn has decided to retire from playing.
Responding to his Instagram post, Lawrence said: “Congrats on a top career Marty.”
Tom Lawrence to leave Rangers
While Lawrence was showing his appreciation to a former Rangers man, it could be the 31-year-old who’s next to announce a change in his career with an Ibrox exit a very real possibility in the summer transfer window.
There was even interest in the forward during the winter transfer window with Besiktas, Ipswich Town and Sheffield United credited with interest.
However, no exit was sanctioned before the 3 February deadline meaning Lawrence remains a Light Blue until the end of the campaign.
That being said, the 31-year-old is out of contract at the end of this season and it would be a definite surprise to see a new deal offered given how little the forward is used at Ibrox and his injuries.
Although Lawrence has three goals and two assists this term, this is from just nine Scottish Premiership appearances which shows that he is not someone in Clement’s plans to take the side forward.
Furthermore, even if there is a new manager through the door by the time the window comes around, you can’t imagine that renewing the contract of a 31-year-old who is not a regular would be a priority.
However, if he is fit enough to do so, you can certainly imagine that the winger would be eager to prolong his career rather than follow in Waghorn’s footsteps just yet.