MLS insider explains why adapting to Scotland 'shouldn't bother' Rangers signing amid stateside similarities

Rangers striker Kevin Kelsy should have no problem adapting to the SPFL Premiership in certain areas due to his experience from the MLS, according to former Wolves forward Kevin Doyle.

The Irishman spent the twilight years of his playing career with Colorado Rapids so knows a thing or two about the game stateside. He reckons aspects of the Scottish game such as plastic pitches and poor weather conditions won’t affect the Venezuelan - who they signed from Portland Timbers on deadline day.

Since his arrival last week, Kelsy has already made two appearances for the Light Blues - a figure which is likely to increase dramatically over the course of the season following injuries to fellow marksmen Youssef Chermiti and Lawrence Shankland. The 22-year old hasn’t found the target yet but did hit the woodwork on his debut against Motherwell last weekend.

Doyle draws MLS and SPFL Premiership comparison

While Doyle himself never got a chance to play his football north of the border - but reckons it’s a similar standard to the MLS overall. He also maintained that artificial surfaces are common across the pond, so playing at grounds like Falkirk in the league ‘shouldn’t bother’ Kelsy.

Speaking to OLBG, Doyle said: “I didn't play in the Scottish Premiership, so it's very hard for me to say, but I think it will be a similar standard. Definitely, there'll be some teams in the MLS who'll be stronger and vice versa, but from an all-round perspective, I would say there won't be much of a difference for Kevin Kelsy.

“Just looking at the players when I went there, the standard won't be an issue for him. Players go from every league and fail in another, if he does well, it won't necessarily mean the MLS is better than the Scottish League or vice versa. The standard won't be a problem, but maybe the climate or lifestyle might be. The only thing for him is that he'll have played on artificial turf, as there were a couple of those pitches when I was playing in the MLS, so that side of it shouldn't bother him.”

Portland is the UK of America - Doyle

Growing up in the Northern Venezuelan city of Valencia - where temperatures can reach highs of 33 °C - it would be fair to assume Kelsy may experience a culture shock arriving in dreich old Glasgow. However Doyle claims Portland is very similar when it comes to the weather.

He added: “The wind, rain, and dark days in Scotland might be an adjustment, although he's come from Portland Timbers. If you're in America, Portland is the most like Ireland, Great Britain, or Scotland. It's wet, fairly damp, and miserable in the winter, so it might not be as big a shock as we think. Portland is a nice place, don't get me wrong, but weather-wise, it's not fabulous.”

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