Incoming £9m Rangers striker 'can be a star' at Ibrox but club warned MLS hotshot is 'not the finished article'

Phil Neville has backed incoming Rangers striker Kevin Kelsy to make a major impact at Ibrox after revealing he personally spoke to the club about the striker’s impending move.

Kelsy is closing in on a £9 million transfer to the Govan giants, with the Venezuelan centre-forward set to become one of Derek McInnes’ biggest summer additions.

Neville knows the 21-year-old well, having managed him at Portland Timbers, where Kelsy made 55 appearances under the former Manchester United, Everton and England defender.

The striker bagged 14 goals during Neville’s time in charge, and the former England international believes Rangers are investing in a player with significant potential rather than a finished product.

Asked whether he was surprised by the reported £9m fee, Neville replied: “No, because he’s a star. When you look at the attributes needed to play at the top level, it’s not just about finishing or physique. His attitude is a massive part of it.

“We landed once at one in the morning and he went straight to the training ground to do his recovery. He did that every week. He set the alarm off and the caretaker had to come out. The GM called me and said, ‘What’s going on at the training ground?’ It was Kevin Kelsy doing his recovery.”

‘He’s not the finished article yet’

Neville also highlighted Kelsy’s dedication and mentality that impressed him during their time together.

“He does the little things incredibly well,” he added. “They’re spending on potential. He’s not the finished article yet and he’s got a long way to go. His year at Portland was up and down, but I just saw star quality. His runs, his arrogance, his belief in himself.

“I spoke to Rangers last week and said they’ll get someone who isn’t the finished article. But if you give him lots of love and let him develop, he can be a star.”

Kelsy, who has six Venezuela caps to his name, stands at 6ft 4in and has already shown his goalscoring ability in MLS. Across 63 appearances for Portland Timbers, he scored 19 goals and registered five assists.

With the towering frontman now poised for a fresh challenge in Scotland, Rangers will hope to unlock the potential Neville believes could make Kelsy a standout player.

Rangers manager Derek McInnes is in dire need of attacking options after a dismal start to his tenure. He confessed earlier this week the club were “working on one or two other things” in the transfer market, adding: “The sooner we get them in, the better. But the club are working hard to try and deliver the players that we require for the season ahead.”

And Timber boss Marti Cifuentes has confirmed Kelsy is heading for the exit door, stating: “It’s been, obviously, a club decision as well, so we spoke about the pros and cons, Kevin was doing well, he’s a young, talented striker. But we have full trust in Ned [Grabavoy], our general manager, and his team to make sure that we are stronger at the end of the window.”

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