Rangers-supporting Lawrence Shankland will play at Ibrox on Wednesday.
Rangers’ Scottish League Cup clash against Ayr United may not be garnering much attention from fans, but it’s an incredibly important fixture for one player.
The Gers are predominantly focusing on their league and Europa League campaigns, with the game against Ayr seen as an opportunity for Steven Gerrard to rotate his side and hand playing time to fringe players.
However, Ayr striker Lawrence Shankland will be fulfilling a boyhood dream on Wednesday night, as he will play at Ibrox against the club he grew up supporting.
Shankland has told the Glasgow Evening Times that most of his family will be at Ibrox to see him in action, vowing that he won’t shy away from attempting to dump his boyhood club out of the competition.
Rangers have recently handed moves to boyhood fans such as Jamie Murphy, Graham Dorrans and Kyle Lafferty, and Shankland should be on Gerrard’s radar after a stunning start to the season.
The former Aberdeen striker, 23, has smashed 15 goals in just 12 games so far this season, whilst 29 goals in 33 games last season really put him on the radar.
Rangers have two main strikers in Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty, but with Umar Sadiq only on loan and showing little sign of being a success, Shankland may be worth a punt as a third striker.
Taking a cheap punt on a lower league sensation in Shankland could be a low-risk move for Rangers, adding another potential goalscorer to Gerrard’s ranks without breaking the bank or unsettling Morelos or Lafferty – and he has the chance to show that he belongs at Ibrox full time when he takes on the Gers on Wednesday.
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