Ex-Rangers star set for new club after hearing they allow pet crocodiles

It’s safe to say that Philippe Clement‘s Rangers are at rock bottom right now.

On Sunday, the Gers were dumped out of the Scottish Cup by a Championship side, beaten 1-0 at Ibrox, with the visitors scoring their only shot of the afternoon before James Tavernier had a 95th-minute penalty saved.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement before the match

This was Queen’s Park’s first Scottish Cup victory over Rangers since 1882, is also the Gers’ first defeat in the competition against lower-league opposition since being beaten by Berwick Rangers in 1967 while, astonishingly, is the first time ever they’ve been beaten at home by a team from a lower division in the 152-year history of the tournament.

Those still inside Ibrox come full time and certainly vented their frustration, with captain Tavernier admitting supporters have “every right” to be angry, as did manager Philippe Clement who said “I’m angry too”.

So, fair to say, fans are not in love with their players right now, wishing a certain fans’ favourite had never left, a feeling that may be mutual, considering the former Rangers winger in question is currently without a club.

Ryan Kent’s time at Rangers

When Ryan Kent arrived at Rangers, initially on loan from Liverpool, he was a 21-year-old searching for a home, having previously spent time on loan at Coventry, Barnsley, Freiburg and Bristol City, racking up just 81 senior appearances across these various loan spells.

Well, reunited with Steven Gerrard, he impressed to such an extent that his move was made permanent for £7.5m a year later, as he was awarded the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award during his debut campaign north of the border.

In total, Kent would make 218 appearances for Gers, scoring 33 goals and providing 56 assists.

These figures leave him amongst the most productive Rangers players since the club returned to the top flight in 2016.

Rangers players with highest G/A (2016/17-present
Player	Appearances	Goals	Assists	G + A
James Tavernier	496	129	139	268
Alfredo Morelos	269	124	57	181
Ryan Kent	218	33	56	89
Borna Barišić	236	10	54	64
Scott Arfield	233	43	19	62
Cyriel Dessers	92	40	15	55
Joe Aribo	149	26	25	51
Ianis Hagi	117	19	26	45
Jermain Defoe	74	32	10	42
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As outlined, since Rangers’ return to the top division, only two players, Tavernier and Alfredo Morelos, have contributed more goals and assists than Kent, hence why current midfielder Nicolas Raskin described the Englishman as their “best player” when the pair were still teammates in 2023.

Nevertheless, after helping the Light Blues win the 2021 Scottish Premiership title and then reach the Europa League final a year later, he departed as a free agent when his contract expired in July 2023, but fair to say his career has not gone to plan since.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

What happened to Ryan Kent after leaving Rangers

After leaving Rangers, Kent joined Turkish giants Fenerbahçe on a free transfer, marking his competitive debut with a goal against Zimbru Chișinău in a UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier in July 2023.

However, this would be the only goal he’d score during his time in İstanbul, making just 19 appearances for the club, not even included in their squad for the second half of last season’s Süper Lig.

To commence this campaign, Kent did start José Mourinho’s very first fixture in charge of the Yellow Canaries, a 4-3 Champions League qualifying victory over Lugano, but he would never represent the club again, his contract mutually terminated in October.

kent-opoku-premiership-rangers-transfer-gossip-ibrox-beale

Now still a free agent, according to a report by the Tehran Times, Kent is “considering” a move to 16-times Iranian champions Persepolis.

Meanwhile, Turkish outlet AS Marca claim, and this is a direct quote, “the legality of keeping a crocodile as a pet in Iran was the factor that convinced Kent”, which Findlay Marks of the Scottish Football Show described as one of the best sentences in the history of Scottish football.

Few would’ve predicted when Kent was starring for Rangers in the Europa League that, less than two years later, he’d be on his way to the Persian Gulf Pro League, underlining how unpredictable a footballer’s career can be.