By RYAN TOLMICH
Gedion Zelalem is officially bound for one of Scotland’s most storied clubs.
Glasgow Rangers announced Monday that the the U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team midfielder will join the Scottish club on loan from Arsenal until January. The confirmation comes after Zelalem was in attendance Sunday to watch Rangers top Hibernian, 1-0.
The agreement between the two sides will be reviewed in January.
“It’s nice to have him on board and a lot of work has been done,” said Rangers manger Mark Warburton. “I’m thankful to some really good people at Arsenal and the work done by people here at Rangers.
“There is no doubt he is a very talented young player and I’m sure he’ll have an impact for us.”
In joining Rangers, the 18-year-old joins Scotland’s most successful club. Having won 54 domestic championships, Rangers is currently stationed in the country’s second division, though, as the club continues to battle back up the ranks following financial issues.
By joining the Scottish club, Zelalem is expected to see first-team action in a league that physicality matches, if not exceeds, that of the Premier League, giving Zelalem a chance to improve his strength on the ball.
What do you think of the move? How will Zelalem fare with Rangers? Is it the right move?
Share your thoughts below.
I don’t know anything else – although I tend not to get my facts from a blog – but I do remember that Beasley got his car bombed because he slept with the wrong girl (it eventually came out). That was a period in his life (from Eindhoven through Rangers) where he made a lot of stupid decisions and partied too much. This is something that happens to a lot of young footballers – youth, fame, money, girls, & time can be a bad mix.
This is the article (I don’t want to post the link because that would lead to my response being moderated forever, but it is a Daily Record article written by Craig McDonald in 2010 and updated in 2012):
Exclusive: DaMarcus Beasley firebombing was ‘revenge for fling
RANGERS star DaMarcus Beasley’s £65,000 motor was firebombed over a fling, the Record can reveal.
The single midfielder had been involved in a relationship with a woman which led to “tensions”.
Her boyfriend is connected with leading underworld figures in the city.
The woman was spotted at Beasley’s house in the west end of Glasgow just two nights before the attack – which was exclusively revealed in the Record.
It’s understood detectives are probing claims the affair lay behind the torching of the BMW car.
The incident is not thought to be sectarian related or connected with his role playing for Rangers.
A source said last night: “DaMarcus has been involved with a woman and other people connected with her have found out.
“This has become the central theory over what happened to the car. The police are looking into this in great detail and it’s a somewhat unsettling turn of events for all concerned.”
The car was targeted in Queen’s Gardens in posh Dowanhill, Glasgow, shortly after 11pm on Monday. The attack bore the hallmarks of a planned and possibly professional hit.
A hooded figure in dark clothes placed an object – thought to be a container of fuel – under Beasley’s BMW 650i. He then walked backwards, pouring fuel for about five yards and lit it with a lighter.
The man then ran off and jumped into a waiting Audi A3 with false number plates which was parked at the bottom of the road.
The white car drove back past the blazing vehicle, then sped off along the quiet streets of Dowanhill at up to 60mph.
Witnesses dialled 999 at 11.05pm and the fire brigade were on the scene five minutes later.
Beasley, 27, came out of his penthouse flat, around 30 yards from the parked car, as firefighters were putting out the blaze.
In an exclusive interview with the Record, he said he had no idea about the motive for the bombing.
A police probe into the attack is “ongoing”.
Safe travels, bro! Look me up if you need some solo travel tips.
might wenger have sent gz to the english third division? perhaps he could get plenty of playing time; possibly be the star of the team; avoid racial violence off the field and injury on the field, yes?
third division,
So there is no racial problems in England?
maybe there wasn’t an offer. has it occurred that this was likely the best option available? it’s certainly better than staying in the U-21 league.
He can kiss hos career away that league is low stndard of play Usl nasl might be better. He will get hacked to pieces and tear something
Exactly. Rangers are only 2nd tier in Scotland. That is like 4th tier in England. Definitely below MLS standard. In fact, probably only Celtics would do well in the MLS.
USL is not better, NASL maybe. But you are telling me that the MLS Youth teams are better than Scottish Second Division. I’m guessing 99% of the people commenting have seen GZ play 5 times in the U-20 WC so I think Arsenal knows a little better than we do the type of seasoning he needs.
Aye, jog on. We know who we are. You have probably never been to Ibrox. Another plastic paddy no doubt. FTP.
Everyone hates us. We DON’T care because we are The Rangers.
We welcome the chase.
WATP
Utter rubbish that we would racially abuse any young player now. We have moved on. That racism happened a long time ago and it was only a section of the stadium.
A section? So just a few thousand racists in the home end, then? I wonder what Edu and Beasley would have to say about that.
Edu NEVER got a few thousand chants in the home end in Glasgow. He had two occasions – one by a group of drunken fans. Why do fools make this stuff up?
You have to wonder if his agent knew this before? If so why is he going to a team with a history of abusing black players. It is crazy. How can a boy show his god-given talent when his own supporters are racist. Explain that one, Arsene!!!
Do let these ignoramuses/ignorami distort the truth. Edu had 2 incidents (one on twitter and 1 in person by 2 drunk fans). There are athletes in the US who have had worse. Don’t believe me, ask P.K. Suban. Beasley’s firebombing had to do with a gangster’s woman or the 4 other white players had their cars vandalized.
Are there bigots there? Of course, there are bigots here in Philadelphia, NY, South Carolina etc. However, lets’ not make it seem like he hearing monkey chants, anti-jewish, anti-asian chants like in other parts of Europe (e,g Russia, Eastern Europe, Italy etc.)
Did Beasley’s car not get set on fire by his own supporters? Is that the best place to send a young player. Arsenal should have done their research. I remember Edu was also racially abused by his own supporters. What is wrong with their fans? They are animals.
I remember reading the same. They don’t have a good record with African-Americans, the fans, I mean. I think they are as racist as some of the Russian teams’ fans. Why does Arsene Wenger think such a toxic atmosphere is good for Zelalem?
OMG…why do people post incorrect statements and perpetuate misinformation. Scotland is NOT as bad as Russia. The car-bombing had nothing to do with race. They vandalized 4 white players cars as well. One immediate theory was that tt has to do with Celtics thugs targeting Rangers players and perhaps DMB going at some Celtics fans online. They are still thuggish, though.
However, another report gave a different for DMB bombing:
“The blowing up of DaMarcus Beasley’s car was reportedly over a woman. – Feb 6, 2010 1:09:00 PM
According to the Daily Record the motives behind DaMarcus Beasley’s car being set ablaze have been uncovered and revolve around a fling the winger had with a woman who was at his house a couple of nights before the attack.
The report cites an anonymous source who claims that Beasley was involved with a lady who had ties to an underground figure in the city, and that it was a professional job done by local gangsters.
A police investigation into the indecent is ongoing, but according to the unnamed source “This has become the central theory over what happened to the car.””
Edu liked Scotland. he mentioned being racially abuse once by a fan in person and once more over twitter. This is not chanting which is much worse. In case, you don’t know, racial tweeting and statements occur in the US as well.
Dam, I though I was on SBI instead of TMZ Sports?
He will be the star of that team. Easily the best player they have had for years, i suspect. Will he click though? He will get lots of game time, no one else there is on his level but therein lies the problem. I suspect most of his plays and passes will go over the head of his team-mates. They just aren’t on the same level and the manager is inexperienced. Basically a city trader who is trying to be a football manager at a below average team. Hardly the guidance Gedion needs.
I think he would have been better going to a big Scottish club like Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts or Dundee United. How can playing in the lower leagues for an inexperienced manager raise his game?
Like putting a silk hat on a sow. A tinpot team in a lower division league. That will really benefit him.
This is a bad move, I fear. He should have stayed in England or at least gone to Celtics or another top league Scottish club if he wants game time. Scottish lower league is no doubt a poor quality and Rangers have a lot of problems atm and in recent history. Not a good place for a good young player. How does lower league soccer at a problem club help him?
considering this is only a loan til January I really do believe this is purely a dry run to see if he can handle the physicality of the premiere league in the future. He has probably shown enough in u-21 to convince higher ups of his skill/vision but they are now going to test if he can hack it. I may be more optimistic than others but the half season loan although not unusual makes me pause.
I don’t get it. The English Championship is plenty physical enough without the poor level of play. To me, it seems like Rangers just offered the most money and Arsenal took it regardless of the poor fit. This makes me think he’s not nearly as highly regarded by Wenger as we all thought he was.
Were Championship sides willing to give him playing time?
TomG
“I don’t get it. The English Championship is plenty physical enough without the poor level of play. To me, it seems like Rangers just offered the most money and Arsenal took it regardless of the poor fit. This makes me think he’s not nearly as highly regarded by Wenger as we all thought he was”
Arsenal loaned GZ to Rangers . They didn’t sell him so I’m not sure what “offered the most money” has to do with anything.
As to why Rangers, here’s one view:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/aug/19/gedion-zelalem-usa-soccer-star-arsenal-rangers
That article doesn’t really say much. Just supposition and what-might-be. The bottom line is he is going to a lower-tier club with a history of on and off field problems and an inexperienced, unproven manager. You can pretty it up all you want but that is what it boils down to. And black Americans have been racially abused by rangers fans before, on more than one occasion
Willem Davic
“That article doesn’t really say much. Just supposition and what-might-be.”
And you expected what exactly? A detailed account of everything that would happen until the end of the loan?
“The bottom line is he is going to a lower-tier club with a history of on and off field problems and an inexperienced, unproven manager. You can pretty it up all you want but that is what it boils down to. “
GZ is and 18 year old Under 21 player . Did you think if they loaned him to Bayern Munich or Real Madrid that would be better ?
“And black Americans have been racially abused by rangers fans before, on more than one occasion”
If guaranteeing that he won’t be racially abused, on or off the field, is your primary criteria then you are going to have a very hard time finding him a club anywhere in the world.
You are making some pretty naive statements.
(1) racial abuse issue happened 1 once in person and 1 over twitter to Edu and once to Beasley when Rangers played in Eastern Europe during cup competition. I tried attaching two links, but my comment is still in “moderation”. Frankly, racial abuse has happened in London as well – ask Sol Campbell or Emmanuel Adebayor. Happens in parts of Europe – ask Asia, Latin and African players in Italy, Spain, Russia. Frankly, I have been on fields in the US when I heard racial comments to my Latin, African American and Asia teammates here in the states. The first time I heard the Asia G-word slang occurred when we were spanking a team 7-1.
(2) Yes, it is a lower level. Ideally, you would want league 1 or perhaps Championship for the 18 yr old. However Mark Warburton is WELL KNOW as a youth development coach. He headed the academy programs (at least according to the articles I read and the sky sports report I heard over the summer) for 10 years. I great way to bring along a young player.
Hello tibia fracture
I’m going with a torn ACL, personally.
Plenty of injuries in MLS, just ask Seattle, first to worst.
more competitive than the U-21 league he’s been in. plus, the experience and the coach should help him grow.
Cool beans. Better than playing reserve matches for Arsenal. Let this seed grow into an Oak!
Could be worse, I guess. At least he’ll be getting minutes against grown men and will have to adapt. Certainly better than bossing kids his own age
the kid is going to play at NASL or USL level.
Ha, playing at Rangers is much different from playing in NASL or USL
At least in terms of sectarian violence….
And being racially abused by your own fans. Just ask Maurice Edu. or Beasley. He was racially abused by rangers fans AND he had his car firebombed just because he made a mistake on the pitch. Hardly the environment to nurture young talent.
Sally,
I followed Edu from his days at Maryland, through Toronto, Rangers and now Philadelphia. He is one of my favorite USMNT players. I know the incident that you are talking about, but it only happened once to him at Rangers. He gave an interview about it and he said it took him by surprise when it happen because it never happens (being racially abused by his own fans). He was on an injury leave, but still attended the game, and he was walking back to his car passed a couple male drunk, male fans who said something after he walked by and then ran off. Racial, ethnic and religious abuse does happen. but we should have the correct situations.
As far as Beasley is concerned. That had little to do with a mistake he made on the field especially because he was injured when it happened. It had everything to do with psychopathic Celtics fans (there was speculation it was retaliation for the hard time he was given Celtic fans online – twitter). Other Rangers (Allan McGregor, Kyle Lafferty, Kevin Thomson and Kenny Miller) were also vandalized – though not firebombed.
Rangers has history and once was big time spender club, but now Rangers is playing maybe level below NASL or USL.
SPL, only has Celtics as a top club, the rest SPL club are at MLS level or below, also MLS done far superior job in developing young talent.
The rest of the SPL other than Celtic is below MLS level. Scottish Championship is a further level below. This is not a high level but there will be big crowds and pressure to produce so if he gets first team minutes it’s better than playing U-21 games.
Disagree. The idea of going to Arsenal was to develop at a club known for bringing along/ developing young players. That is not what Rangers do. He can get big crowds with a pressure to produce playing high school soccer. Hope his car isn’t firebombed like Beasley’s was.
but the point was he has developed as much as the U-21 league is going to get him. but he is not ready for full Arsenal first team. so he goes on loan. would the Championship have been better? sure. but with Rangers, it’s almost guaranteed he’ll get time against senior players.
and Warburton attempts to play the right way which is why Wenger liked this move.
Maybe a league championship move might have been better but people apparently believe in Warburton and his abilities to develop young players. Rangers have fallen on times and it’s their fault they’ve done so but comparing them to a high school team is silly.
wasnt comparing scottish championship to high school just making the point that I don’t think crowds and pressure are a big consideration for player development. If they are then US soccer should not have outlawed high school soccer for Dev Academy players. It’s good to hear what you say about Warburton. However I still just question whether Rangers is a good place for an 18yrold American player. They’re fans do not behave too kindly to Americans. Remember they had an American businessman that was willing to save them and their hateful fans drove him away.
You are right wood chip zip. Their ‘fans’ are mostly vile bigots. They abused Beasley and Edu with lots of racist comments. Who is to say Zelalem won’t fare any better?
That was Edu.
And to the point, there are pros and cons like any move at a youth level. He will be physically challenged, at a club with good facilities and management. Which will help offset the Arsenal effect.
It was Beasley-http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/04/sports/la-sp-beasley-bombing4-2010feb04
Edu was racially abused by Rangers fans in the Ibrox parking lot. Hope that doesn’t happen to Gedion either
Too true. Maurice Edu also endured torrents of sickening racist abuse from his own ‘fans’. With fans like this who needs enemies. Gedion better have thick skin.
Not sure if you think a bit too highly of 2nd / 3rd Division US Soccer, or too lowly of this kid (both?). In any case, if he can do well at Rangers and be seen as having been a big part in getting Rangers on their way back to the Scottish Premiership, it can only do him a lot of good.
First, he was going to sit at Arsenal, so this is about finding someplace else to play.
Second, Scottish second division probably ensures he plays.
Third, he’s young enough that playing anywhere first team is probably a feather in his cap.
Exactly! It’s only until January, so they make an adjustment in January. If they feel they want a higher level, then they will do another half season loans elsewhere.
Any word on Emmerson Hynmann?
The rare error when you get both names wrong.
http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=show&id=10810
Latest article I could find on Hyndman for ya’
Last I heard he was not interested in extending with Fulham, which means he’ll either be transferred in the winter window or be available on a free transfer next summer (assuming).
Congrats kid, make the most of it and the sky’s the limit.