Kyle Hutton was once highy regarded at Ibrox – but the one-time Rangers youngster is now searching for a new club.
In front of a packed, expectant Ibrox crowd, 19-year-old Kyle Hutton stood in the centre of the park with the Champions League anthem ringing in his ears. Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney shook his hand as he prepared to take on Manchester United in Europe’s premiere club competition.
Almost seven years on from that so-called Battle of Britain, however, sealed by a late Rooney spot-kick, Hutton’s career has never scaled such heights again.
Making his breakthrough in 2010/11, winning a Premiership title and a League Cup crown, Rangers were thrown into crisis just two years later as they were demoted to the fourth tier after liquidation.
And though Hutton remained until 2015, he almost became a symbol of this grand old club’s malaise. The final straw, meanwhile, was Hutton’s rather innocuous tweet in which he stated that he was, in his own words, going home to relax and watch TV, he tells the Daily Record.
Consequently, irate Rangers supporters unleashed a banner stating ‘Less time Tweeting, more time training’.
What next?
As such, it was no surprise that they let him go, joining Queen of the South.
Flash forward to the present day and he is on the lookout for a new club once again after being released halfway through a two-year deal with St Mirren.
Now 26-years-old, it appears that Hutton’s career has hit the buffers. He only featured in 11 league games for St Mirren and was loaned out to Airdrie just three months after joining the club.
Unlike John Fleck, Jamie Ness and co, who have got their careers back on track after falling through the cracks initially, Hutton’s next move is uncertain.
One things for sure, however, he and his former club are a long way from Champions League nights at Ibrox.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
