Transfer Gossip: Gerrard’s Rangers interested in ex-Wanderers loanee

According to the Daily Mirror, new Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is chasing his second signature of the week in the form of West Ham United defender and most recently, of Bolton Wanderers on loan, Reece Burke.

Having impressed during his initial loan spell at the club, the 21 year-old has evidently caught the eye of the former Liverpool legend and is set to become a Rangers player in the coming days amongst being chased by numerous other clubs.

Regardless of his somewhat poor form more recently at Wanderers, Burke’s brief spell back at his boyhood club West Ham over the Christmas and New Year period in which he managed to impress and grab his first goal for the club, is what seems to have made him such an attraction to Stevie G and subsequently, an asset to West Ham.

As ever, the club in question aren't alone in wanting the young centre halve. Burke is also on the radar of promotion hopefuls Aston Villa and other Championship clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds United and Reading, all wanting permanent deals for the London lad (aside from The Owls, who want to loan Burke).

Whilst we’d struggle to act as a competitive force in the chase for Burke’s signature, there hasn't been any mention of Wanderers going back in for Reece, and to an extent, you can see why.

Held in high regard, Burke’s parental Premier League status at such a youthful and promising age naturally makes him largely sought after and screams potential to those who have seen very little of him as a first choice centre halve.

In the second half of last season, Burke often lost his position to the likes of Dervite, Beevers and Wheater respectively which he had initially somewhat made his own in a team. In all fairness to the lad, considerable responsibility can be put down to the fact that he was fighting for an unclaimed position which could never settle on a back line.

Regardless though, even when Burke was gifted a handful of opportunities and appearances, his form was decidedly average and inconsistent, often seeing him play second fiddle to Wheavers.

It’s therefore not a particularly sad farewell, nor is it frustrating that we won’t be looking to resign him but I'm glad he was given the opportunity to play regular football and clearly has the ability to make it in a more settled team where I’m sure he can start a new chapter with his head held high, knowing he made it as one of a select few successful products of West Ham’s reputable youth academy.

I’m sure it’ll also give him huge confidence knowing that Gerrard has a battle on his hands to make him his own.

With this, it must be said that it is a shame that it didn’t quite work out for Reece at Wanderers but I have faith that he’ll be able to impress elsewhere, be it Rangers or not.

All the best Reece. It was nice whilst it lasted.

Good luck.