Jordan Jones has been told by Steven Gerrard that he is free to leave Rangers this summer, Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough has revealed to the Glasgow Evening Times.
Back in January 2019, one of Scotland’s biggest clubs snapped up two highly-rated prospects in bargain deals from their Premiership rivals.
But while Glen Kamara has gone from strength to strength at Ibrox, forming 50 per cent of that ‘Jackamara’ partnership that Gerrard seems to love so dearly, it’s fair to say Jones’ Rangers career has not exactly gone to plan.
The Northern Ireland international ripped plenty of Premiership defences apart during his time at Kilmarnock.
But Gerrard has barely given Jones a look in since that most petulant of red cards against Celtic 12 months ago, with the 25-year-old left out of the matchday squad for four of Rangers’ five league fixtures so far in 2020/21.
Unsurprisingly, Baraclough is keen to see one of his most dangerous attacking weapons secure a fresh challenge before the Northern Ireland get their Nations League campaign underway in the autumn.
“Jordan is someone I have spoken to several times. I want to help players be settled at their clubs or find new clubs and be there for them to pick up a phone and speak to and if we can help them in any shape or form it is our job to do that,” says the ex-Motherwell boss, who recently replaced the legendary Michael O’Neill in the NI hotseat.
“Jordan is an exciting talent and he wants to play football and regular games to give himself the best chance of performing on the international stage.
“He is talented but at this moment in time Rangers is a competitive squad and Steven Gerrard has spoken to him and said he can find a new club if that comes up.
“Hopefully that can be sorted pretty soon and hopefully he can get settled into a new club, new surroundings and then he can go and perform for us like we think he can. We have real exciting, young players with pace and an eye for goal and Jordan is one of those.”
The Northern Echo reported in July that Rangers were willing to sell for £500,000, with O’Neill’s Stoke City battling Blackburn Rovers and Queens Park Rangers for his signature.
A return to former club Middlesbrough was also touted as on the cards for a man born amongst the pebbles and the pylons of Redcar.
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