Rangers urged to ‘throw kitchen sink’ at Billy Gilmour loan transfer by former Ibrox captain

Former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson has urged his old club to “thrown the kitchen sink” at signing Brighton outcast Billy Gilmour on loan this summer.

The former Light Blues academy product has witnessed his career stall somewhat after making his senior breakthrough as a highly-rated teenager at Premier League giants Chelsea under Frank Lampard. However, once Lampard was replaced by Thomas Tuchel, the midfielder’s game time was limited and he was sent on a season-long loan to Norwich City.

His move to the Canaries didn’t go according to plan, with many fans criticising the Scotland international for a number of his performances. Chelsea then opted to exercise their option to extend his deal by 12 months last summer before being made available for transfer back in September.

Gilmour moved to Amex Stadium but it hasn’t worked out the way he had hoped with the high-flying Seagulls. The 21-year-old was signed by Graham Potter who headed in the opposite direction to Stamford Bridge shortly after and Gilmour hasn’t manage to convince replacement Roberto de Zebri he is worthy of an extended run in the team.

Having made just 10 appearances so far this season, Gilmour could now seek a transfer elsewhere with a return to his old stomping ground in Govan deemed a possibility. While Ferguson reckons finances will make striking a deal challenging, the Gers legend believes Michael Beale should push the boat out to attempt to bring Gilmour back to the club.

Writing in the Daily Record, Ferguson said: “It looks to me as if an honest conversation is now required between the manager and the player. If Billy is not going to get game time next season then he had to start planning ahead for a big decision this summer.

“And, if I was in charge of recruitment at Rangers, I’d be throwing the kitchen sink at trying to give him something to think about. They’d be crazy not to give it a shot. Look, it might be too rich for my old club’s blood. I’m not sure if they could match the fee Brighton will demand and they’ll certainly struggle to pay the same level of EPL wages.

“But it’s not about making top dollar right now. It’s about what’s best for Gilmour’s career. If he got the chance to showcase his quality week in, week out at Rangers he wouldn’t just play his way back into (Steve) Clarke’s starting XI for the Euros - he’d be able to take his pick when it came to his next big transfer somewhere down the line.”

Gilmour had previously been a key figure in Steve Clarke’s Scotland line-up in recent years but he failed to appear on the pitch during the recent Euro 2024 qualifying double-header against Cyprus and Spain at the national stadium. Ferguson reckons it was a clear indicator of how far the talented star has fallen, admitting he felt sorry for the youngster.

“While Billy’s talent is not in question, his luck is a different story. That’s why I felt some sympathy for him in the immediate aftermath of Scotland’s landmark win over Spain. Hampden Park was buzzing. The players and the manager were enjoying a massive moment in the team’s progressing.

“But while some of them were on the trackside giving interviews, Billy was in the background, doing his runnng on an empty pitch after playing no part at all in the recent double header. I started thinking to myself, ‘What must be going through his head right now’. He’ll have been absolutely desperate to have been out there, testing himself against one of the best nations in the world.

“Proving that he is match for anyone. Running the show. They way he did against England at Wembley two years ago. It must be eating him up inside. But he also can’t afford to let the bottom lip come out because now is the time for him to roll up his sleeves and do something positive about changing it.”