A forgotten former Ranger has resurfaced this pre-season with his current side, despite appearing to be out of the game at the end of last season.
Former Rangers striker Kemar Roofe departed Ibrox following the expiry of his contract at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, bringing an injury-hit four-year stint in Glasgow to an end.
Initially a statement signing by Steven Gerrard during the club’s title-winning 2020/21 season, Roofe was a key figure in the team during his first 18 months in Scotland.
However, persistent injuries began to take their toll, and his availability and impact steadily declined.
Over the following two and a half years, Roofe struggled to maintain any consistent run of form, with each spell on the sidelines further eroding his sharpness and overall influence.
He finally left Rangers last summer, spending the first half of the season without a club before joining English Championship strugglers Derby County in January.
Roofe made his debut for Derby on 22 February, coming on as a stoppage-time substitute for David Ozoh in a 1–0 defeat to Millwall.
Predictably, injury struck again soon after, limiting him to just two more late substitute appearances before the season concluded.
Many would have expected that to be the end of the road for the Jamaica international, with possible retirement, a move back to Oxford United, or a drop further down the leagues looking likely.
However, it seems Roofe has been handed another chance at Pride Park. The forward featured for the Rams in a 1–1 draw against Northern Premier League Premier Division side Matlock Town earlier this week.
Still without a contract, Roofe has been training with the squad in the hopes of earning a new deal. Whether he can finally overcome his injury troubles remains to be seen, but for now, his story isn’t quite over yet.