Raging Gary Rowett admits he can't understand Zak Lovelace 's decision to join Rangers and move to their Colts side after leaving Millwall.
Record Sport first reported the 16-year-old was heading to Ibrox having already made his first-team breakthrough down south despite his tender years. The move sparked anger from Lions boss Rowett who took aim at the "outside influences" surrounding the move while the club themselves released a statement citing their "frustrations" at how it panned out.
Millwall were desperate to keep Lovelace and had planned on handing him an increased first-team role next season as he became the second youngest player to represent the club at first-team level. However, he snubbed a new deal and instead has headed to Glasgow, where he will initially go into Gio van Bronckhorst 's B-team in the Lowland League and work his way into the first-team plans.
Rowett reckons the move to Scotland marks at backwards step for the youngster, who will be playing in the fifth tier next season. The frustrated boss told South London News : “People make decisions for reasons only they know.
"My opinion is that if you’re at a Championship club that value you so highly that they are prepared to put you on the bench – because they trust you, think you’re a good player and work on a plan to get you into the first-team this very season.
"It seems strange you take what looks a backward step for the next 18 months to two years. Rangers are a massive club. It’s not for me to judge why someone wants to join a club.
“I am disappointed with that one. I don’t have any grudges. It’s a disappointing system where you can work so hard with a player in the academy for so many years – put so much time and effort in – and it’s far easier to take a player from an English club to Scotland, and vice versa.
“Probably that needs to be looked at so the rules apply the same whether you are a Premier League club or an SPL club. Otherwise big clubs from each division are going to be pinching kids from cross border all the time.
"I don’t blame Rangers for doing that, or any other of the English clubs because they are seizing the opportunity. I don’t think it is healthy for academies, that’s what I would say.”
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