Former Rangers midfielder Harry Forrester has offered a powerful insight into life after football, sharing the remarkable journey he has taken alongside ex-Ibrox teammate Rob Kiernan – from childhood teammates in England to professional footballers at Rangers, across Europe and in the United States, and now founders of a growing youth development academy.
The pair’s story began long before their time in Glasgow. Forrester revealed that he and Kiernan first played together at the age of six, starting in the same Under-7s team within the Watford academy.
“Rob and I met as kids in an English youth academy, chasing the same dream: to play professional football,” Forrester wrote.
“We were teammates from the age of 6 and we went on to play professionally for 15+ years across Europe and the U.S.
“And even shared the pitch on four professional clubs together, across three different countries.”
That shared journey eventually brought them together again at Rangers, where both players were part of the club’s rebuilding years following the 2012 financial collapse – each signed by Mark Warburton in the 2015/16 season and helping the club secure a Scottish Championship and Challenge Cup double as well as the 2016 Scottish Cup final.
While neither enjoyed a long spell at Ibrox, their time in Scotland remains a significant chapter in careers that defied extraordinary odds.
Forrester highlighted just how rare their achievements were.
“Globally, only 0.05% of registered soccer players worldwide ever reach the professional level,” he explained.
“Even inside structured academy systems, fewer than 1 in 20 players earn a pro contract.”
Yet two boys from the same youth team not only made it professionally, but they did so together, across multiple countries, before relocating to the United States to start a new chapter with former Rangers affiliate club Orange County SC.
After retiring from the professional game, Forrester and Kiernan were struck by what they saw in American youth football.
“Too many talented young players were getting lost in systems that prioritised results over real development, politics over progress, and short-term wins over long-term growth,” Forrester wrote.
That frustration sparked the idea for Prospect Soccer Academy, a development-led programme designed to put players first – on and off the pitch.
“What if there was a place where every player is seen, supported, challenged, and developed with intention?” he asked.
The academy began with just six players, with Forrester and Kiernan handling coaching, mentoring and running the programme themselves.
“We built the schedules, and mentored every day,” Forrester said.
“It was exhausting yet exhilarating.”
Eighteen months later, Prospect Soccer Academy now supports over 45 full-time student-athletes, a growth rate of more than 650 percent.
“This is a home for young athletes who want to grow, work hard, and dream bigger,” Forrester wrote.
“A place where families are part of the journey, not separate from it.”
For Rangers supporters, the story offers a reminder of the character behind two former players who once pulled on the famous blue shirt.
Forrester departed Rangers in 2018 after being deemed surplus to requirements by Steven Gerrard whilst Kieran was sold the summer before by Pedro Caixinha.
Although their Ibrox spells may have been brief and unsuccessful upon the Gers return to the top flight, Forrester and Kiernan’s shared journey reflects the values of resilience, professionalism and ambition that Rangers fans respect.
As Forrester concluded: “If you do the right thing, if you stand by your word and give absolutely everything you have got, the results will speak for themselves.”
From academy teammates to Rangers players, and now mentors shaping the next generation, Harry Forrester and Rob Kiernan’s story is one built on belief, loyalty and a lifelong friendship on and off the football pitch.