STEVEN GERRARD has told gifted Rangers youngster Kai Kennedy he deserved to be stripped against Hamilton after being impressed by him in training last week.

Gerrard invited Kennedy, the 17-year-old who helped the Scotland Under-19 team beat Germany at Firhill last month, along to the the Fountain of Youth Stadium yesterday.

But the Liverpool and England great stressed he would have had no qualms about giving the winger, who featured in the closed-doors game against Leicester City on Tuesday, a place in his squad.

And he expressed hope his involvement, albeit in a non-playing capacity, alongside the likes of Jermain Defoe, Ryan Jack and Allan McGregor will give encouragement to his contemporaries at the Hummel Training Centre.

The Herald:

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“He earned the right to be the 19th man," said Gerrard. "His training performances this week and his cameo in the friendly against Leicester made me think of putting him in the 18.

“All of our lads at the academy should take note of what he has done this week. People look at Kai as this wee player who maybe doesn’t belong with men but he has trained like a man all week. He’s been the most consistent in training. He’s a fabulous little player.

“It wasn’t just a token gesture to say ‘come with us, you’re a young kid’. He deserved to be around it today. He was unlucky not to get a shirt.”