SCOTLAND youth international Bailey Rice has rejected a Motherwell contract offer to instead join Rangers.
The talented 15-year-old has agreed an Ibrox deal with Rangers paying an undisclosed fee to Motherwell for the youngster.
Rice - who has represented Scotland under-17s on 12 occasions - was part on the Fir Park 2006 squad and was in line to be promoted to a full-time contract this summer.
However, the midfielder will instead sign professional terms with Rangers after deciding his future was with the Glasgow side.
Motherwell did sign up nine of the ten proposed Fir Park graduates this summer despite "significant interest from big clubs on both sides of the border".
On Rice's departure academy director Steven Hammell commented: “Although it’s disappointing to lose Bailey at this stage of his development, we respect his decision.
“On the flip side though, we are absolutely delighted that so many of the group we had earmarked for graduation into our professional set-up have placed their trust in us and the pathway we think we can provide to first-team football.
“We have already seen so many of them train and integrate with the first-team squad in the first week of pre-season and that’s something that should not only give them all encouragement, but additional hunger and desire to kick on.”
A club statement added: "Everyone at Motherwell FC would like to thank Bailey for his effort and commitment during his time with the Academy and wish him every success in his future career."
Rice is the latest youngster to agree a switch to Rangers with Cameron Cooper joining earlier this month from Partick Thistle.
Millwall teenager Zak Lovelace also made the summer move to Ibrox to join the B Team.
