Malky Mackay paid tribute to a “fantastic strike from a fantastic player” after Ryan Kent’s wonder goal helped Rangers secure a 4-2 victory over Scottish Premiership strugglers Ross County, speaking to The Herald.
It’s never particularly helpful to compare a promising young player to one of the greatest footballers of all time. But there was something Ronaldo-esque about the way Kent found the net yesterday.
Cutting inside on to his right foot, the former Liverpool winger thumped a devastating, dipping, 25-yard strike into the Ross County net. It was a goal reminiscent of Ronaldo’s traction-engine thunderbolt against Levante almost a decade ago.
On his first Premiership appearance in two months, Kent offered a reminder of his game-changing potential just three days after a fizzing cameo display in the Europa League draw in Brondby.
With Kent fit and firing, Rangers have a player capable of winning a game with one swing of his boot. And, with this season’s title looking like a two-horse race rather than the waltz of 2020/21, that could come in handy indeed.
Rangers star Ryan Kent rips Ross County apart
“We started well but we didn’t keep it at 1-0 long enough,” says Mackay, whose side raced into a fifth-minute lead at Ibrox before being steamrollered. Ryan Kent? It is a fantastic strike from a fantastic player.”
Joe Aribo also scored one and set up another against bottom-of-the-table Ross County, while Juninho Bacuna opened his account following a summer switch from Huddersfield Town before an Alex Iacovitti own-goal on the hour mark. A late Jordan White strike was mere gloss for Ross.
But with Rangers falling behind for a fifth game in a row – and the 11th time this season – Gerrard clearly has a lot of work to do on the training pitch during the November international break.
The Gers have conceded as many league goals this season (13) as they did in the whole of last term.
At least he has arguably the league’s most feared attacker available again.
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