Sunderland Academy of Light product Dan Neil is reportedly in talks with Scottish Premiership giants Rangers.
Former Sunderland striker Kevin Kyle believes Academy of Light product Dan Neil would be ‘a great addition’ for Scottish Premiership giants Rangers.
The former Black Cats captain helped his boyhood club secure promotion from League One with a play-off final win against Wycombe Wanderers in 2022 before helping end the club’s nine-year absence from the Premier League with a Championship play-off final victory against Sheffield United just over a year ago. However, a raft of summer transfer window additions limited Neil’s playing time during the first half of last season and the agreed to see out of the campaign and his Sunderland contract during a loan spell at Championship club Ipswich Town in January.
Neil will be a free agent this summer and Premier League newcomers Coventry City have been linked with a move for his signature - but as The Echo reported earlier this week, Rangers have emerged as a front-runner to snap up the midfielder after they completed the signing of Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland earlier this week. Former Black Cats and Rangers striker Kyle believes Neil could impress at Ibrox and described the two-time promotion winner as ‘well respected’.
He told Go Radio: “I would go regularly to watch Sunderland three, four times a year. And I remember when Dan Neil broke into the first team, he was the next big thing that the Sunderland fans had expectations for. They got the club through the leagues, was the captain, and then got an opportunity where I don't think he was going to get many games in the Premier League with Sunderland. So he took the move to Ipswich and he's done well at Ipswich.
“For me, he's a very, very good footballer, and he would be a welcome addition to Rangers. I've always said that. There was talk about maybe a year ago in the same kind of rumours. I think that Dan Neil would be a great addition to Rangers. I've seen him up close and he's a hardworking, technical, good midfielder. He would be a good addition for Rangers as well. He's tenacious in the midfield, gets about, keeps things simple. And he was the captain of Sunderland. He took them up through two leagues. So he’s well respected.”
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