Ayr United boss Ian McCall is delighted to have landed Rangers talent Stephen Kelly on a season-long loan, not least because the midfielder was amongst the top three fittest players at Ibrox.
The 19-year-old has made the switch to the Championship with Ayr in an attempt to enjoy regular first team football and continue his development.
Kelly, who came up through the ranks at Ibrox, is one of the bright prospects at the club and scored a hat-trick against Ayr in a pre-season friendly on Tuesday.
And in the wake of his move to Ayr, Kelly has come in for praise for McCall, who revealed he had been in talks with Steven Gerrard and Gary McAllister to facilitate a loan even before the player excelled during the pre-season game.
The Ayr manager also revealed that Kelly clocked sensational fitness statistics in pre-season tesring with the Gers.
“Stephen is very, very highly rated at Ibrox”, McCall told his club’s official website.
“We had been speaking to Steven Gerard and Gary McAllister about him well before our game yesterday where he scored a hat trick.
“He is a central midfielder who can play in a two or a three and is very versatile.
“He is always looking to move and pass the ball and he was in the top three at Rangers when they completed their fitness testing.
“We need him to integrate well at the club, feel like an Ayr United player and have a great season.”
Kelly has a contract with Rangers that runs until the summer of 2021.
