When Kilmarnock travelled to Parkhead on Saturday, few would have imagined – even with Celtic out of sorts and a pale imitation of their Ange Postecoglou-era pomp – that the home goalkeeper would find himself with a lot more on his plate than the visiting glovesman Will Dennis.
By the time the full-time whistle echoed around a half-empty stadium – a chorus of boos audible despite a sea of empty green seats – Joe Hart had been kept far bisier than his opposite number, Celtic’s veteran stopper denying an impressive Killie side on a number of occasions before David Watson’s deserved extra-time equaliser.
Hart may have been the busier man, but Kilmarnock’s AFC Bournemouth loanee still had to showcase his own formidable shot-stopping prowess. Dennis smothered an early Luis Palma effort, dived at the feet of Adam Idah to stop another dangerous attack, and then sprang to his right to keep out a pair of Matt O’Riley strikes either side of half-time.
With Celtic reportedly interested in the 23-year-old, per the Daily Record, have the Hoops supporters just been given an early look at the man who could replace Hart in the home net in time for next season?
The one-time Watford and Luton Town prospect is also on Rangers’ radar, the Record adds. And having scouted Dennis during his time at Rugby Park, his latest eye-catching display north of the border will surely only enhance the admiration shown towards Dennis on both sides of the Old Firm divide.
“Once again, a failure to punish their opponents when they were ahead came back to bite Celtic,” BBC Sport reporter Kheredine Idessane wrote in his post-match report, Dennis standing tall as Brendan Rodgers’ side pushed for a second goal which would never arrive.
“Two great saves from Will Dennis kept Kilmarnock in this one. But, make no mistake, Killie were well worth their point.”
This was not the first time Dennis had produced a stellar, thou-shalt-not-pass sort of display against one of the Premiership’s big hitters either. One of his nine clean sheets came against Rangers on the opening day, a 1-0 defeat in Ayrshire which arguably proved to be the beginning of the end of the Mick Beale era.
Now, the Englishman extended his contract at parent club Bournemouth until 2026 in January, fresh terms ensuring that he will not leave the South Coast on a free transfer.
But with Neto firmly established as The Cherries number one, with Robbie McCrorie allegedly keen on a loan move away from Ibrox and with Jack Butland attracting plenty of interest from across the continent, Will Dennis is one name to keep an eye on as the summer window edges ever closer.
Rangers captain James Tavernier is front and centre as Castore launch their new Oracle Red Bull Racing collection.
The 32-year-old Ibrox icon was used in the promotional launch of the Formula 1 team’s new kit and has certainly turned some heads in the process.
Castore have launched their new Oracle Red Bull Racing range with a variety of clothing available to fans with the Rangers captain once again used in the promo campaign.
The Rangers skipper is the poster boy for Castore’s neutral Football Training Collection, which was launched back in October.
The fact that Castore have used James Tavernier for the Oracle Red Bull Racing promotion is evidence of the Ibrox captain’s increasing appeal.
Whilst the Rangers right-back is well known in Scottish football, James Tavernier has made his mark on the wider game with his goalscoring exploits from right-back.
Castore clearly view Tav’s image as being influential even outside of Rangers and it’s a testament to the right-back’s commitment and success on the park.
Speaking in the promotional launch, Tavernier said: “Everyone knows how competitive F1 is, and Oracle Red Bull Racing always rises to the challenge.
“It’s important to always strive to be better and aspire to improve every single day, whatever sport you’re in.
“Being a fan of Oracle Red Bull Racing myself, it’s not just about cheering for a team, it’s a badge of honour. Fans of teams in all sports embrace the culture behind the team, wearing your teams’ colours gives you a sense of shared pride, so I’m delighted to be involved in the launch of Castore’s latest collection release with Oracle Red Bull Racing.”
The promotional Oracle Red Bull Racing and James Tavernier launch comes at a very interesting time indeed for Castore.
Back in November, the self-confessed disruptor brand were valued at a quite astonishing £1bn as their meteoric rise in sports continues year-on-year.
The brand aims to unsettle established sportswear outlets like Adidas and Nike, offering more bespoke and catered designs and products.
But it hasn’t been plain sailing and the last few months have seen a sizeable dent to the retailer’s footballing operations.
Kits which retained too much sweat have led to Aston Villa cancelling their kits deal, whilst Newcastle United have also ditched Castore for Adidas.
Rangers – who were Castore’s first foray into football – signed a “multi-year” partnership with the Gers in 2020 with the current deal set to expire in 2025.
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