Rangers Opinion: Gers have struck gold with the signing of Jake Hastie
According to the Daily Record, Motherwell winger Jake Hastie is set to join Rangers at the end of the season after agreeing a pre-contract deal with the Gers.
Rangers have been linked with the 20-year-old Scottish youth international for quite some time and Steven Gerrard has finally managed to get his hands on the talented Motherwell academy product. (h/t Daily Record)
Hastie has been a revelation in the Scottish Premiership this season and the Daily Record claims that he had offers on the table from English clubs as well.
The youngster refused to pen a new deal at his boyhood club and the fans at Ibrox have every reason to be pleased after Rangers managed to strike a deal for the 20-year-old.
Hastie spent the first half of the season on loan at Alloa Athletic in the Scottish Championship but he has proven his worth as a top-flight player at Motherwell after returning from his loan spell. The Scotsman has scored 7 goals in 14 league appearances for Stephen Robinson’s side and has put his name amongst the best emerging talents across the nation.
The 20-year-old has netted in Motherwell’s league triumphs over Livingston, St. Mirren, Hearts and Hamilton Academical since February and has earned plenty of plaudits for his good run of form. He has made eyeballs turn with his consistently impressive performances in the top-flight and a move to Ibrox can be regarded as a just reward for all the hard work that he has put in.
To put things into perspective, it is not difficult to see why Rangers have struck gold with the signing of Hastie and the fans have every reason to expect big things from the talented 20-year-old when he arrives at the club at the end of the season.
Gerrard already acquired the services of Kilmarnock winger Jordan Jones on a pre-contract agreement in January and Hastie can be seen as another fine addition to the squad.
The Gers have fallen well short of Celtic in the title race this time around and Gerrard would need to boost his ranks significantly in the summer to post a better challenge next term.
The acquisition of Jones, and now Hastie, would certainly solve a key issue for the manager given that Ryan Kent is set to return to Liverpool at the end of the season. Kent has been hugely influential down the left-hand side of Rangers’ attack and both Hastie and Jones are quality players who can play out wide on that side of the pitch.
A fast, sharp and agile player who is also blessed with a good turn of pace, Hastie has showcased his ability to run at defenders with directness and create openings in the final third with his incisive passing.
He has good upper body strength and he uses it to hold on to the ball, which allows him the time to link up with his teammates and wreak havoc through the opposition’s defence.
Hastie’s pace and power combined with his remarkable distance-shooting and aerial ability should bring that X-factor into Rangers’ attack.
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Hastie is not yet the finished product but he has already managed to break into Scotland’s U21 side as a result of his impressive run of form. He has all the makings of developing into a fine player at Ibrox and Ranger clearly have taken a step in the right direction by snapping him up for free.
