Liam Ridgewell thinks K. Kelsy can cope with Rangers even if the reported move from Portland Timbers carries a sizeable fee. The former defender, now an assistant at Portland, described the striker as a strong, powerful forward who can hold the ball up and occupy two centre-halves. He also said Kelsy’s own pressure will be about scoring goals, not the money around him.

Ridgewell's case for Kelsy

Ridgewell’s praise is built on traits Rangers need. He said Kelsy is the kind of striker who can “hold up the ball” and “occupy two centre-halves all the time because of his sheer profile and size.” That is the profile of a forward who can give a team a reference point, not just another runner in behind.

The work rate piece is just as important. Ridgewell said Kelsy goes back to the gym at five or six o'clock at night for extra work, and even joked that the issue at Portland was sometimes keeping him out of the gym so the staff could get him on the training pitch. That is not a throwaway detail. It fits the view of a player who keeps pushing to improve rather than relying on physical gifts alone.

The numbers are thin, which is why the projection matters. Kelsy has only 2 league appearances, 81 minutes and a 6.8 rating this season. Rangers would be judging him on what he can become as much as what he has already produced.

The fee and the pressure around Ibrox

The fee talk is part of the noise around the move, but the reporting is not fully aligned. One source puts it at £9million, while another headline says £9.5m. The bigger point is that Ridgewell does not think that will land heavily on the player himself.

"I honestly don't think he'll be bothered by all the money talk. I really don't," Ridgewell said. "The outside noise of the value will probably be more than what he's putting on himself. His own pressure will be just to score goals."

That view fits the kind of signing Rangers appear to be chasing. Rangers are not just buying goals, they are looking at a 6ft 4ins forward with a reputation for graft and size, and a player who still has room to develop. The reported move is not fully confirmed in the material available, but the case being made for him is clear enough.

With Falkirk, Motherwell and then Celtic next, Rangers will have no time to ease a new striker in gently.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →