Goalkeeper Jak Alnwick joins Rangers

The 23-year-old has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee which is believed to be £250,000.

Alnwick started his career at Sunderland before joining Newcastle, where he made eight first-team appearances. He joined Vale in August 2015 and played 79 times for the Sky Bet League One club.

He told Rangers’ official website: “You look at the history, the fan base and everything about the club.

“I’ve been at Newcastle and had the experience of a big club, so that excites me, and I like the direction that this club is going in.

“It’s had its ups and downs, but it’s on its way back up again. I would love to be a part of where the club is going to be in the future.

“I am going to come in and work as hard as I can. I’ve been through it all - both the highs and the lows from playing Premier League and then having to go down to down to League One and make a name for myself again.”

The deal will likely allow Matt Gilks to move on in search of more regular first-team football, leaving Alnwick to push Wes Foderingham for the number-one spot.

He said: “What I will do is work hard and push Wes as much as I can and see where that takes me. I’ll give everything I have for these fans and this club, as I would at any club.

“Wes has been excellent, even back to his Swindon days he was excellent there too. It’s going to be a tough job, but I’ll keep training and keep plugging away.”