The Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has sanctioned McPake’s temporary Ibrox departure.
Rangers were approached by another club wanting to sign the young Ibrox winger Josh McPake just hours before his move to Dundee was announced.
McPake made his debut for Rangers at the start of Steven Gerrard’s side’s Europa League qualifying campaign and recently signed a new three-year contract.
But the 17-year-old talent has since joined Dundee on a five-month loan deal – the culmination of a lengthy pursuit by the Dark Blues manager, and the player’s namesake, James McPake.
Speaking to The Courier about the move earlier this week, the latter explained: “Josh was one of the targets I had when I first came into the job.
“Things have been on-going for six weeks. I had conversations with (the Rangers first-team coach) Michael Beale about him at the start of June.
“It didn’t look likely at all at that point because they are very keen on him and I can see why.
“I have seen a lot of him and he is very highly rated. So we are delighted that Steven Gerrard, (the Rangers assistant boss) Gary McAllister and Michael are trusting us with one of their hottest prospects. I am delighted to get it over the line.”
It was the older McPake’s former Coventry City colleague, and current Head of Elite Performance at the Premier League, Andy O’Boyle who put him in touch with Beale, with the latter pair having worked together at Liverpool.
And he the Dundee boss added: “I am very grateful to Andy for the help he has given us and he gave me the chance to speak to Michael Beale about him.
“Teams were really wanting Josh and even on Monday night another team came in for him.
“I got a phone call at 8pm to say somebody else had come in for him but he was coming here and we are very thankful to my board for doing it and in particular for Andy and everyone else who helped to get it sorted.
“I think Rangers view it as a good first loan for him.”
The younger McPake joins a pair of former Rangers players, Jamie Ness and Kane Hemmings, at Dundee.
Are the Dark Blues a good fit for Rangers’ Josh McPake?
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