Newcastle United target Leon King had an evening to forget in the Champions League for Rangers on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old started the game against Liverpool on the bench, but came on just before half-time to replace the injured Connor Goldson.
It initially looked like it was going to be a good night for Rangers. They went 1-0 up thanks to Scott Arfield, and the game was level at half-time.
However, Liverpool put Rangers to the sword in the second half. With King now at centre-back alongside Ben Davies, the Scottish side would concede six more goals.
By the end of the night it was Rangers 1 Liverpool 7. Mo Salah scored a hat-trick, Darwin Nunez impressed, and Rangers were left licking their wounds.
Scottish press react to Leon King’s Rangers performance
It was a difficult night for King, who was making his 11th appearance of the season. And it came one week after his first ever start in the Champions League at Anfield.
But the return fixture was much more brutal, and King will have learnt a lot from his latest European outing.
The reviews of his performance from north of the border are not great, but he was far from the biggest problem in a Rangers shirt.
Football Scotland gave King a 4/10 for his appearance off the bench. They described it as a ‘learning experience’ for a young player who they think is a ‘massive talent’. However, they admitted that he ‘struggled’ against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Glasgow Live were also fairly kind to the young defender. They gave him a 5/10 and admitted he had an ‘unenviable’ task coming on, but showed ‘glimpses of potential’.
The Scotsman were scathing but also sympathetic, calling him ‘poor Leon King’ but giving him a 3/10 rating. They wrote: “Poor Leon King (3), whose introduction for the stricken Goldson on the stroke of the interval meant he was there, but not there, as Rangers suffered a six-goal second half blitz.”
Newcastle have been scouting King
It was a rough night for Rangers and for King, who is attracting interest from elsewhere.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle have been scouting the Scottish teenager. He adds that Manchester United and Leeds have also been watching him.
If they saw him on Wednesday night, they would probably be completely put off making a move. However, one game doesn’t tell the full story.
King is very highly rated by Rangers, and already has Premier League clubs circling around him. His contract expires in 2024, meaning he could possibly leave for a bargain fee next summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal at Ibrox.
Newcastle will be keenly watching his development. The Magpies have already signed two players from Scotland this year, bringing in youngsters Jude Smith and Charlie McArthur. It’s clearly a market Newcastle are looking to exploit, and King is the next player on Dan Ashworth’s radar.
Wednesday night was a learning curve for him, and there are hopefully better days ahead for the Toon target.
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