Talent in honest Rangers exit assessment after difficult Ibrox release as he enters situation nobody wants
The starlet is on the hunt for a new club after being released from Rangers - and is being coached by a former Celtic star
Rangers are preparing for a summer of change with the San Francisco 49ers expected to take control at Ibrox, but one player that won’t be around for the new era at the club is Harry Weir, who discovered his contract with the Glasgow side would not be getting renewed this summer.
The midfielder departs along with first team stars such as Tom Lawrence, Leon Balogun and Ianis Hagi and a string of other young stars from the Light Blues academy. Weir is now having to emerge from a setback that many young footballers have in the early stages of their career but he remains confident of his chances of finding a new club and forging a successful career due to the advice given to him by the PFAScotland's talent showcase.
Looking ahead to the future, Weir says he will put plenty of work in to come out of pre-season with a professional contract and says he’s keen to prove a point that he’s good enough.
Harry Weir opens up about Rangers exit
Weir joined the Rangers academy at six-years-old and ends an 11-year association with the iconic Glasgow side.
“Nobody wants to end up in this situation but once you do it’s all about putting the work in and making sure you come out the other end of pre-season with a contract,” Weir said, via Sky Sports. “I think there’s over 30 boys here, working hard and doing everything to make sure they don’t end up unemployed at the other side of pre-season. And it brings up the standard of wanting to prove a point and it brings everyone on as a player.”
Weir signed his first professional contract with Rangers in 2023. It was a two-year-deal but he admits he found opportunities tough to come by and says he wasn’t progressing in the way he’d have liked. He added: “I think nobody wants to end up in this situation as a footballer and there’s a lot of uncertainty and your agents coming in dry and stuff. But it’s all about hard work and I think in any form of life if you have a strong mindset you’ll go far and I think also if you go through this at 17 or 18 years old if it comes to you further down the line at 24 or 25 you’ll know how to handle it.
Weir adds that the examples of other players that have gone on to succeed in other divisions around Scotland gives him the motivation that he can find another club and continue to succeed. Ali Spalding for example went to Arbroath and won League One after being spotted at the showpiece event while Finn Yates is part of a Falkirk team that reached a cup semi-final while also winning back-to-back promotions into the top-flight.
"It shows everyone here that the door doesn't shut as soon as you run out of contract at one club. And if there’s players here that have kicked on and had careers it shows it definitely possible for us all to have a career in football.”
What is the PFA Scotland talent showpiece?
The PFA Scotland talent showpiece is an annual showcase event, which takes place at Cumbernauld’s Broadwood Stadium which will see managers, coaches and scouts attend looking to pick up hidden gems that have been released from their clubs this summer.
“The lads behind me are out of contract, they're looking for employment, looking for a job ultimately and it's a really difficult time at this stage of the season so every year PFA Scotland puts the talent showcase on with a view to trying to help the guys and support them getting a club for next year,” said former Celtic and Hearts forward Craig Beattie, who helps run the event.
“They train all week and the sessions have been brilliant so far. Then ultimately we'll get a game on a Saturday where there'll be loads of coaches, scouts and managers looking to strengthen the squad for next year.”
“I think at times once you're a football player you get classed as earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a week like some of the players in England do. But we know full well that those riches aren't here in Scotland and it's stark contrast to the players here who are concerned about their career and their future. We also dip into education and personal development in the afternoon because some of these lads are out of full-time academies for example and they won't stay in full-time football. That's the sad reality. Our job is to help them do that.”