Rangers hit by crushing transfer blow amid Neil Doncaster reveal
Rangers plans to loan out some of their rising stars to Scottish lower-league clubs next season have been hit by a major new blow.
The SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster announced today that the four-league system will remain the same for next season and that the Championship season will not start until 17 October.
With no update on when League One and League Two will eventually get underway, Rangers are set to have to come up with new plans to get senior experience for their top young prospects.
Ibrox sources have told Football Insider that Steven Gerrard and his coaching staff had planned for some of their academy prospects to be loaned out to lower-league teams in Scotland next season.
But that possibility has been put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic that has wreaked such havoc in football.
The club generally prefer to keep their rising stars and academy stars close to home.
Robby McCrorie (Queen of the South), Stephen Kelly, Jordan Houston (both Ayr United), Josh McPake (Dundee) and Aidan McAdams (Edinburgh City) were all loaned out loaned last season to clubs in the Scottish Championship or lower down the pyramid.
By contrast, Rangers prefer to loan out their senior players to English lower league clubs rather than in Scotland.
Jamie Murphy, Glenn Middleton, Jak Alnwick, Jordan Rossiter, Ross McCrorie and Jake Hastie had spells at EFL teams last season.
In other Rangers news, it can be REVEALED that the club have made a decision on landing new full-back after Calvin Bassey agreement.