Ryan Kent shrugs off Leeds speculation and pledges 100 per cent focus on Rangers after adding numbers to his game

Ryan Kent has enjoyed his best goalscoring season to date with 12 goals for Rangers this season – as well as laying on many more for his team-mates.

Rangers' Ryan Kent. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

And that form and consistency over his 49 games has caught the eye, not just of Rangers supporters but other clubs too.

Leeds have been regarded as long-term admirers of the winger, but he insists he has a duty to Rangers and will “play in the now” regardless of the interest around him.

Pledging his love for Rangers – who he joined on loan in 2018 and then held out for a permanent transfer a year later – the 24-year-old said: “It’s about playing in the now.

Kent celebrates scoring against Willem II (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

“It’s nice to be linked with other football clubs, big clubs, but you have to understand your duty of where you’re at and as long as I’m at Rangers I’ll give 100 per cent to the football club. I love this place and it’s done so much for me and as long as I am I’m solely focused on Rangers.”

His improved figures can be attributed to a pep talk from manager Steven Gerrard and some focus on the training ground on his finishing.

He told Sky Sports: “I’ve been working hard on the training field to add numbers to my game week-in week-out and improve my end product.

“I didn’t realise the importance of having numbers in my game – I used to get more satisfaction from being able to go past two or three players rather than scoring goals - that's how I got satisfaction.

"It’s only from sitting down with the gaffer than I’ve learned the importance of adding numbers to my game and where goals and assists will take me in my career.

“He wants the best for me in my career and knows the importance of numbers, goals and assists and things in football and that's helped me get to the stage I am this season.”

That’s also contributed to Rangers taking the league title for the first time in a decade and landing Champions League qualification next term.

And Kent added: “The Champions League is massive and the biggest stage in club football.

“To test yourself against the best players in the world and the best teams in the world would be quite special.”

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