Former Rangers hero with 'impressive pedigree' ends football exile after five months without a club

The 28-year-old was released by Fenerbahce in October, just 16 months into a four-year deal he signed following his departure from Ibrox under freedom of contract in the summer of 2023.

Kent won the Scottish Premiership title with Rangers under Steven Gerrard in 2020-21 and starred in the club's run to the Europe League final the following season.

He scored 34 goals in 216 appearances in all competitions across four seasons in Govan after turning his initial loan move from Liverpool into a permanent transfer in 2019.

However, the subsequent move to Turkey failed to work out, with Kent managing just three goal contributions among 19 appearances for Fenerbahce before being dropped from the first-team squad.

His last appearance for Fenerbahce came in a Champions League qualifier against Lugano in July. In total, he played just 73 minutes of football over the past 12 months.

Kent will now look to relaunch his career in the United States after signing a short-term contract with MLS side Seattle Sounders until the end of the current season, with the option to extend the deal by a further year.

“Ryan is a very good player with an impressive pedigree, and we’re excited to bring him into our team,” said Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer. “He’s got real quality on the ball, is effective at taking players on and stretches opposing backlines, which should give us another dimension in the final third. We’re confident Ryan will integrate quickly and give us a big lift as we continue a long, grueling 2025 campaign.”

Sounders general manager Craig Waibel added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan Kent to Seattle and add him to our existing group this season. Ryan is a dynamic winger with top-level experience who brings pace, creativity and a dangerous attacking threat.

"His versatility and work ethic make him a great fit for our system, and we believe he can make an immediate impact and allow us to continue competing at the highest level.”