Rangers will welcome back Matt Crooks at the end of his loan spell at Scunthorpe United – but maybe they should return to Ivan Toney too.
Scunthorpe United’s Matt Crooks celebrates
Whether Matt Crooks is cut out for life in the Ibrox goldfish bowl remains to be seen. However, after enjoying an exceptional short-term loan spell with League One high-flyers Scunthorpe United, it’s clear that the 22-year-old powerhouse deserves a second chance at Rangers.
Making just one Scottish Premiership start under Mark Warburton after arriving from Accrington Stanley last summer, Crooks has a new manager to impress in Pedro Caixinha.
And, if he performs like he has at Glanford Park, epitomised by tigerish challenges and a penchant for dramatic late winners, his second season at Ibrox should be far more successful than the first.
Although perhaps Crooks should not make the journey back to Glasgow alone. Fellow Scunthorpe loanee Ivan Toney may be on the lookout for a new club this summer with Rafael Benitez, the manager at his parent club Newcastle United, making clear that the club’s youngsters may struggle for opportunities on Tyneside, the Sunderland Echo reports.
And Rangers certainly have history when it comes to plucking starlets in need of an opportunity from St James’ Park. Yet, Toney could prove far more successful at Ibrox than Remi Streete, Gael Bigirimana and Kevin Mbabu.
Tigerish Toney
Despite a slow start to life at Scunthorpe after arriving in January, Toney found his feet from mid-March onwards and never looked back. The former Northampton Town prodigy netted six goals in the final eight league games of the season to secure The Irons’ place in the League One play-offs.
Clearly, the 21-year-old needs to settle down having played for three different clubs on loan during the last two seasons. Finally getting a run of games at Scunthorpe, Toney has offered glimpses of his potential.
Just imagine what he could do during a season at Rangers, then. The Scottish giants are crying out for a reliable goalscorer to take the pressure of Kenny Miller and, if the last few weeks offer anything to go by, Toney could be exactly that.
Maybe he and Crooks can organise a car pool.
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