Rangers player remains uncertain on his future as spell away from Ibrox breeds different opportunity
The defender is currently on loan at Ayr United in the Scottish Championship
Rangers loanee Leon King is currently playing the football of his life at Ayr United and is in turn, refusing to rule out a more permanent move to Somerset Park.
The defender, who is out of contract at the end of the season at Ibrox, was signed on loan by former Celtic man Scott Brown at the start of the season. He has since been sacked in place of John Rankin, but King has kept his place in the side and is continuing to impress for the Honest Men, having won the Player of the Year award. The 22-year old has been a mainstay at the back under both bosses and has made 32 appearances this season.
King had a brief spell in the Rangers starting XI under Giovanni van Bronckhorst as a youngster due to a plethora of injuries at the back but has since struggled to make his way back into the team. It was for this reason he made the loan switch to Scotland’s second tier, in an attempt to get more first team minutes under his belt. As his stay at Ayr now nears its conclusion, he is refusing to rule out an extension, if the club want to pursue his services beyond the summer.
‘This is what I needed’ - King on short-term Ayr spell
Speaking to the Ayrshire Post, King claimed his loan spell at Somerset Park has gone according to plan. He said: “This is what I needed – to go out and play consistently this season. The constant challenge of having to earn a spot in the team each week has been massive for me.
“I’m without a contract now so we’ll see what my future holds. But I’m definitely not shutting the door on staying here. I’ve loved it. The club has given me an opportunity to go and showcase what I’ve got and I’ll be forever grateful for that. So if something is on the table that is good for my future then I’ll look at it seriously.”
On the pitch, the Honest Man were looking destined for the play-offs earlier in the season, but a recent dip in form has seen them plummet to seventh in the table. They’ve just about ensured Championship safety with one game to go and are now hoping to regroup for next season.
Where did it go wrong for Leon King at Ibrox?
The defender was one of the club’s brightest prospects when coming through the youth ranks, making his debut for the under-20s aged 14 and also helping Rangers to Scottish Youth Cup glory in 2019, where they defeated Celtic 3-2 in the final. He would make his senior league debut two years later in a 3-0 win over Livingston.
King made 43 appearances for Rangers overall, a good chunk of which came in the 2022-23 season when there were long term injuries to defenders John Souttar and Filip Helander. The youngster gained Champions League experience at this time having played every game of the group stage.
Playing against the likes of Liverpool winger Mo Salah and then-Napoli superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia perhaps came too early in the career of King as Rangers recorded one of the worst ever defensive records the competition has seen. The defender made very few subsequent appearances in Govan and was also farmed out to Queen’s Park before making his switch to Ayr in the summer.