Former Rangers misfit enjoys dream debut after securing England move, scores stunner on first start

01/28/2025 01:00 PM

During a nomadic career which has taken him from England to Scotland and even Utah, that brief and forgettable spell at Rangers represents something of a blot on his copybook.

Because while Josh Windass would blossom into a pretty reliable goalscorer at Ibrox, the man who moved to Rangers alongside him from Accrington Stanley back in 2016 managed a grand total of three forgettable appearances before returning south of Hadrian’s Wall with Northampton Town just one year later.

Seven years on, while Windass continues to drag Sheffield Wednesday into the comfort of mid-table with David Beckham-esque lobs and while courting interest from Brazil, Matt Crooks’ return to English football after a spell in the USA with Real Salt Lake has also coincided with Hull City’s ascent up the Championship ladder.

Much of the credit will go to new head coach Ruben Selles of course – they were 22nd when he arrived in December and 19th now – but the former Southampton coach has undoubtedly been aided in his quest to secure survival by some impressive additions in the transfer market.

Joe Gelhardt – former Rangers target Joe Gelhardt – opened his Hull account with a stunning strike against QPR in midweek. Albeit one that mattered little in the grand scheme of things. A late consolation in a 2-1 home defeat.

At least Matt Crooks, scoring his first goal for The Tigers three days later, can bask in knowing that his contributions did not go to waste. Finding the net for the first time, on his full Hull City debut no less, Crooks not only produced a pretty glorious first-time finish, he also set Selles’ team on their way to the most unexpected of 3-0 wins at title-chasing Sheffield United on Friday night.

A result which surely left many pre-weekend accumulators in ruins even before Saturday begun.

• READ MORE:Rangers Transfer History 2016-Present

Former Rangers misfit Matt Crooks inspires Hull City to stunning win

“It’s not easy when the action goes really quick for everyone to follow,” Selles said after the relegation-battlers hammered the promotion pursuers on their own turf, Crooks opening the scoring in the 5th minute following a rapid-fire counter attack which started from a Sheffield United corner.

“I think Matt Crooks followed [up] perfectly and then finding that strike and being ahead early in the game just allowed us to be a little bit more free and play the game that we wanted to play.”

Crooks did not find the net at Rangers – not that he had many chances to in a grand total of three appearances – but the 6ft 4ins midfield colossus has proven himself to be a fairly solid contributor in the final third since those difficult days in Glasgow.

Crooks averaged around eight goals a season in his three years at Middlesbrough before jetting across the Atlantic. If the Leeds-born 31-year-old can muster even half that tally between now and the end of May, Hull will have a pretty good shout at remaining a Championship team for 2025/26.

Crooks hopes to help Hull avoid relegation from the Championship

“I feel I knew pretty much straight away it was going somewhere close to the top corner,” Crooks smiles, delighted to see his sumptuous finish nestle neatly in the back of the Sheffield United net.

“It was a great performance from the lads. The defensive effort was unreal as well. It was good to get the three points and it’s something to kick on from now.

“It’s nights like this that I came back for really. I had a great time over there in the MLS, it was a proper different experience for me, but you don’t get nights like this over there. This is what I came back for, the emotion and the passion of the game.”

“We’ll take great belief from this, but we can’t rest on our laurels. We’ve got to use this as a springboard and kick on and climb the table.”