Celtic legend takes Rangers fringe man under his wing as Ibrox starlet seals loan move in boost to club's title push

Rangers academy graduate Cole McKinnon has dropped down to the Scottish Championship for a second time after being unveiled as Ayr United’s first January signing.

The 21-year-old midfielder, who will work under the tutelage of Celtic legend Scott Brown at Somerset Park, remains highly-rated and has agreed a loan deal until the end of the season.

He has just six months remaining on his current deal at Ibrox and the spotlight will be on him to prove why he is deserving of a new contract. Current Hoops B-team defender Lenny Agbaire is also reportedly close to finalising a loan move.

Speaking to the Ayrshire Post, McKinnon said: “I'd like to think I carry myself well so it wouldn't matter to me whether I was out of contract in the summer or not. I will always approach everything the same but it probably does add that little bit more pressure to come here and perform.

“I will do as well for the club as I can and take things from there. Coming here is a great opportunity and getting the chance to work under the manager and Whitts (Steven Whittaker) can only help develop my career.”

McKinnon has been hailed as a promising talent by Ibrox chiefs since breaking into the first-team set-up and scoring on his debut as a substitute against Hearts in May 2022. He had previous loan spells at East Fife and Partick Thistle before returning to Govan where he remained on the fringes and was handed his European debut vs Benfica by current boss Philippe Clement last year.

With his game time limited so far this season due to the good form of Nicolas Raskin, Connor Barron and Mohamed Diomande, McKinnon is now ready to step down a level and help Ayr’s promotion push as he looks to add to his four senior league goals in his career to date.

“It's a tough league,” he added. “I know that from my time on loan at Partick at a young age. It's one of the toughest leagues in Scotland that you can be involved in so the challenge for me is clear.

“The team is doing well and having spoken to the gaffer, he wants me to come in and add goals and assists to my stats, and my parent club are saying the same thing.

“There were a few options on the table but once I spoke to the gaffer and Whitts, they really sold me on it and you can see the direction of the club and the way it's going, so I'm really excited to be here.”

A Rangers statement said: “Rangers can today confirm Cole McKinnon has joined Ayr United on loan for the remainder of the season. The 21-year-old will end the 2024/25 campaign with the Championship club as they target promotion where they currently occupy second place in the table. Everyone at the club wishes Cole well during his loan spell.”