Rangers winger Jake Hastie’s Ibrox career has been hanging in the balance for a while after failed loan moves to Rotherham and Motherwell – and his involvement in this afternoon’s B team friendly with Edinburgh City likely signals the end of his time as a Gers player.
Hastie was the only player who could come close to being referred to as a senior squad member in Brian Gilmour and David McCallum’s side with the remainder of the group made up of under-18s and under-19s.
Hastie spent last season at Motherwell, hoping a return to his first club could help reignite his form and force his way into the first-team picture at Ibrox, but after struggling at Fir Park his days at Ibrox seemed numbered anyway.
However, his demotion to the B team squad – which will see him ineligible to play in any of their competitive fixtures – makes it abundantly clear that he has no future with Rangers.
While the likes of Glenn Middleton, Leon King, Josh McPake and Stephen Kelly have been training with Steven Gerrard’s first-team squad ahead of their Premiership campaign, Hastie has been round the other side of the Gers’ Auchenhowie training ground with the kids.
Were there a Rangers future for Hastie, you’d think he would have been involved against Partick Thistle on Monday as the first-team kick off their pre-season schedule rather than lining up alongside the B team.
Rangers may struggle to move Hastie on
After signing a four-year contract when he moved to Ibrox, Hastie still has another two years on his deal with Rangers.
That could prove a stumbling block to moving him on permanently, with clubs unlikely to want to take on his wages.
A loan move is far from ideal after the failure of the last two but Rangers may have to let Hastie go temporarily and let him win a move away.
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