Who is Ryan Kent? We profile the Liverpool winger as he closes in on Rangers move

SportTimes revealed on Friday that the 21-year-old is set to become the 10th signing of the summer at Ibrox as a loan deal nears completion.

He would be the second Reds player to follow Gerrard to the Light Blues, after midfielder Ovie Ejaria put pen to paper on a loan deal in June.

Read more: Rangers close in on loan deal for Liverpool winger Ryan Kent

Here, we take a closer look at what the Gers could be getting.

Fact file

Club: Liverpool

Age: 21

Born: Oldham, England

Position: Winger

Last season: Freiburg (6 apps), Bristol City (11 apps)

International: England U20s (6 caps, 1 goal)

The story so far

Born in Oldham, Kent was snapped up by Liverpool aged just seven and steadily progressed through the club’s youth ranks before being handed a four-and-a-half year deal in March 2015 after impressing for the Under-21s and in the UEFA Youth League.

He joined the first team squad for pre-season in the summer of 2015, but soon began a string of loan moves at Coventry City, where he stayed for four months at the start of the 2015/16 campaign.

Kent scored one goal in 17 appearances for the Sky Blues before returning to Anfield to make his one and only senior appearance for the club in their 2-2 FA Cup draw with Exeter City in January 2016.

A successful loan to Barnsley followed the next season, where the winger scored three goals in 44 Championship appearances and picked up the club’s Young Player of the Year award.

Last summer Kent signed a new long-term deal with the Reds, but he was again sent away on loan, this time joining Freiburg in the Bundesliga. The youngster struggled to make an impact in Germany, making just six appearances, and the deal was terminated in January.

He spent the second half of the campaign back in the Championship with Bristol City, where he played 10 games to help the club to an 11th-placed finish.

What has been said about him?

Former Coventry team-mate Jim O'Brien:

“He’s one of the most exciting players I’ve ever seen.

“He can go past people as if they’re not there and I say to him ‘with my vision just imagine how good I’d be if I could do that.’

“If he gets his final ball right – which will definitely come because he’s at a good club here and he’s from Liverpool so he’s obviously had a good education – he can achieve anything he wants.”

Former Liverpool Under-21s manager and current Rangers coach Michael Beale:

“Ryan is a really exciting player and can play in a number of positions.

“When he got injured we were devastated for him because at the time Ryan was getting quite a bit of interest in terms of going out on loan and was a star player in the U21s.”

Ryan Kent reflects on last season:

“I think in football terms last season wasn’t the best season for me, it was quite disappointing.

“In terms of game time I think I only started eight games last season, but I think it was a learning experience to be able to go to probably the second-best league in Europe in the Bundesliga, and making my debut against Bayern Munich. 

“Then to be involved in a play-offs chance with Bristol City was a good opportunity as well, so I took many things away from last season and hopefully I can build on that again.”

Jurgen Klopp after a pre-season win over Tranmere earlier this month:

“(Sheyi) Ojo and Ryan maybe didn’t have the best last year, but they came here and really wanted to show something, and they do—training is good.”

Bristol City manager Lee Johnson:

“I think Ryan Kent was a young lad coming through, probably unfit because of his time in Germany, or not as fit as he could have been.

"We hoped that he would have hit the ground running a bit quicker than he did. He probably wasn't helped by the atmosphere which was created in the stadium in a couple of losses, a couple of poor performances.

"Ryan, let me tell you, is a great player. If you told me he was coming through our academy as a 20-year-old, I'd tell you he was going to be a £10m player in the next few years."