Glasgow Rangers youngster Ryan Hardie left Ibrox on loan during the January transfer window.
With Rangers agreeing another one-year contract extension with Ryan Hardie in January (via BBC Sport), it is perhaps fair to suggest that the Gers remain somewhat unconvinced that the striker will kick on as much as he needs to in the coming years.
Hardie has shown at Livingston that he can score goals at the highest level. His five strikes in December seemed to leave Steven Gerrard with a decision to make as to whether Rangers should leave him out on loan or bring him into the first-team fold to provide competition for Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty.
Ultimately, he stayed with Livi as his parent club signed Jermain Defoe on an 18-month loan. At the time, the deal seemed like a masterstroke as Hardie could get six more months of first-team football and then spend a year working with a Premier League legend.
That could still prove to be the case. But if Hardie is hoping to force his way into Gerrard’s plans ahead of next season, then he surely needs to do a lot more – especially when you consider the struggles that the Gers are currently enduring in front of goal.
Since Morelos has been suspended, Rangers have failed to score on two occasions. There have been glimpses of Defoe’s quality – his goal against Aberdeen was clearly a highlight – but he has not stepped up in the Colombian’s absence, and Lafferty has scored once since September.
It is the perfect time for a striker to prove a point to Gerrard, whether they be out on loan or working in the reserves at Ibrox. Unfortunately, Hardie is not taking that chance.
The 21-year-old has not scored in five appearances since returning to Livingston. There is clearly still plenty of time for Hardie to make a statement before he returns to Rangers in the summer, but he has perhaps squandered a golden opportunity to send a message to Gerrard.
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