What Phil Neville said about Kevin Kelsy should have Rangers fans excited as talks begin

Rangers have taken their first steps towards signing Kevin Kelsy from Portland Timbers.

And if previous comments from Phil Neville are anything to go by, Rangers could be signing a real gem.

Kelsy emerged as a surprise option for the Gers on Thursday as a replacement for the injured Youssef Chermiti.

Rangers need to find attacking cover as Chermiti, subject to a £20million-plus bid on Sunday, is likely to miss the whole season.

Some well-known names have been linked, including Joe Gelhardt of Leeds United, while Kelsy falls into the lesser-known category.

But amid a new update on Rangers' pursuit of the 22-year-old, some previous quotes from Neville make for exciting reading.

What is latest in Rangers' pursuit of Kevin Kelsy?

Kelsy is a "towering" striker and would nicely replace Chermiti on the face of it.

The Venezuela international has title-winning experience at Shakhtar Donetsk, whom he played for prior to joining the Timbers in January 2025.

In a new update from the Rangers Review on Thursday afternoon, it is claimed that initial contact has now been made with the Timbers.

The report adds that it will take a "significant fee" to sign Kelsy, but exactly what that figure is is unknown.

Kelsy is also quick and athletic, so he ticks pretty much every box required in the striker Rangers are looking for.

What did Phil Neville previously say about Kelsy?

Kelsy now has a few seasons of MLS experience under his belt, having previously spent time on loan with FC Cincinnati.

In the ongoing 2026 campaign, he has scored nine goals and assisted a couple more in 17 appearances.

He is averaging a goal every 59 minutes in a league that, while still not of the highest quality, is a lot stronger than it once was.

Kelsy is now playing under Marti Cifuentes, but he was once managed by Neville at Providence Park.

In Kelsy's early days, while still finding his feet, Neville was full of praise.

“He knows - and everyone knows - how highly I rate this kid,” Neville is quoted as saying by The I-5corridor.

“He’s young, plus-6-foot, athletically like a machine. But he’s still developing.”

Given Kelsy's figures this season, it is fair to say he is now beyond just "developing".

While he is not exactly a player supporters would have heard of, this certainly sounds like it could be an exciting move.