Scottish Premiership outfit Rangers were interested in Hartlepool United starlet Jack Blackford in 2017 with Manchester City and Aston Villa also linked.
With all the furore surrounding Luca Murphy, the coveted 17-year-old defender who caused controversy recently by leaving Hartlepool United after failing to agree a professional contract, it is worth remembering what happened to the last highly-rated youngster who departed Victoria Park tipped for big things.
Back in May 2017, The Scottish Sun reported that a 19-year-old winger by the name of Jack Blackford was a man in demand.
The teenager had trials at Manchester City and Aston Villa but failed to earn a contract. However, a move to Ibrox, and one of the biggest and most historic clubs in European football, would have been a result for a player who had only ever featured twice for Hartlepool’s first team.
Blackford was included in Rangers’ squad for the Hong Kong Soccer Sevens. But, for whatever reason, the Glasgow giants decided against taking him north of the border on a permanent basis.
But what has happened to him since then? Not a lot. Blackford was released by Hartlepool in January of last year and, after a short-term spell at north-east neighbours Shildon, he is now playing semi-professional football for Northern Premier League Division One outfit Marske United.
Time will tell whether fellow Hartlepool graduate Murphy, who is a target for the likes of Leeds, Wolves, Sunderland, Tottenham and Leicester according to TEAMtalk, will follow in Blackford’s footsteps.
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