Glasgow Rangers ended a turbulent few weeks by finally replacing Michael Beale as the Ibrox side announced Philippe Clement as their new manager.
The Belgian arrives with a solid reputation having won three league titles in his homeland managing Genk and Club Brugge, while his latest spell saw him spend 18 months at AS Monaco, before being sacked a few months ago.
The Gers need some new ideas, and they need them fast if they have any ambitions of catching Celtic at the top of the Premiership table.
Clement will need to use all his tactical nous to get a tune out of the current crop of players, especially as confidence has hit an all-time low after winning just nine of their opening 16 matches of the 2023/24 campaign.
Beale failed to showcase any ready style of play or tactical identity and his summer signings failed to really hit the ground running, despite spending big money on the likes of Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers.
Clement has worked with some of the brightest young talent in Europe during his spell at Monaco, including Axel Disasi, Aurelien Tchouameni and Benoit Badiashile and this could give some of the academy stars at the Light Blues the confidence boost they need.
Indeed, several youngsters were given a chance by interim manager Steven Davis, most notably Zak Lovelace, Ross McCausland and Bailey Rice and these players could be future stars if they carry on their excellent progress.
It is perhaps another teenager who the Belgian may be most interested in, however, as Leon King remains one of the brightest products to emerge from the Gers youth system in the previous few years.
How much did Leon King cost Rangers?
The 19-year-old cost the club nothing having worked his way through the youth ranks at the Ibrox side, and he signed his first professional contract at the age of 16 back in March 2020.
Then sporting director Ross Wilson lavished praise on the teen, saying: “I am delighted we have an agreement with Leon King.
“Leon has been a priority for us and we are excited about his potential. He has been demonstrating that potential both for Rangers and Scotland and we are excited about his future.”
Head of the academy Craig Mulholland even described King as “one of the UK’s most sought after young talents” once he signed his new deal, and it appeared as though the Gers had a stunning prospect.
How many appearances has Leon King made for Rangers?
Still only 16, King finally made his senior debut for the Gers as Steven Gerrard handed brought him on for James Tavernier with just 20 minutes to go against Falkirk in the League Cup back in November 2020.
His first Premiership appearances came during the end of the same season as the club cruised to their first league title in a decade and he finally made his first start against Dundee United towards the end of the season, while also even making the bench for the Europa League final and Scottish Cup final, claiming a winners medal in the latter competition.
Due to an injury crisis at the start of the 2022/23 season, King was given a chance to impress by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and he featured 19 times until the winter break, gaining a wealth of experience in the process.
The youngster even ranked fourth for clearances per game (1.9) across the whole squad last term while also winning 58% of his total duels and averaging 48.4 touches per game, indicating that his physical presence was impressive, and he was always keen on getting on the ball.
Overall, King has made a grand total of 31 appearances for the Glasgow side and this should rise further this term.
These displays have seen his value skyrocket, and he has yet to turn 20.
How much is Leon King worth?
His impact in the first team last season led King to be valued as high as €4.2m (£3.6m) according to Football Transfers in March this year, and although this has dipped to a current valuation of €2.5m (£2.2m), it still represents a wonderful figure for someone so young.
Having emerged through the academy, thus being developed at the club, the Gers haven’t had to pay a fee for the defender, and he could well secure them a solid profit one day in the future.
Indeed, the centre-back has even been linked to clubs such as Manchester United and Newcastle United in the previous 12 months, with the two Premier League giants even sending scouts to watch him in action for the Light Blues.
This is a further indication of just how talented he is and that if he continues to be patient and work hard, he should soon get further opportunities under Clement, having failed to make an impression under Beale.
The £4k-per-week starlet was hailed by former Ibrox defender Alan Hutton before the start of the 2022/23 season, who said: “I think when I did watch him last season, he was like a big Rolls-Royce, very elegant on the ball. He came out, kept possession and looked very comfortable for someone of such a young age.
“With the likes of [Leon] Balogun leaving, Goldson signing a new contract, we know Souttar’s coming in, you need that competition for places to drive you on.
23
6
2
“So I’d like to see him try and break through, stamp his authority in this team, in his own way. I think he’s got all the potential and he ticks all the boxes for a modern-day centre-back.“
He has certainly faced plenty of competition this season and has yet to make a single first-team appearance so far, but this could all change under Clement.
The former Brugge manager has placed his trust in youth before and will surely do so again, especially with the sheer volume of talent he has to work with at Ibrox.
King has bided his time well this campaign and could well be rewarded sooner rather than later, especially with Clement’s penchant for developing young talent at his previous clubs.
