Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be delighted to have Alfredo Morelos back fit and firing on all cylinders with a refreshed attitude, however, he will be equally happy with what he is seeing from the next generation of strikers in the B team.
Zak Lovelace continues to impress after signing from Millwall but it is Robbie Ure who has caught the eye with his debut goal against Queen of the South and some good performances in the UEFA Youth League, registering four goals and four assists already this season
The 18-year old still has a lot to learn but, like Lovelace, already has a physique that belies his age which will make the transition from a promising youngster to a senior professional a lot easier – something that Nathan Patterson and now Leon King have shown.
First of all though, Rangers need to get him tied down to a new deal and, speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Pete O’Rourke believes that an announcement might not be far away:
“Talks are at an advanced stage, I think, between the club and Robbie Ure, so I fully expect this one to get done.”
Young strikers rarely make the grade at Rangers, however, Ure has as good a chance as any. He has a manager who will trust and play young players if they impress in training and when they are given an opportunity in the first-team, as already stated, at over 6ft tall and powerfully built, Ure is perfect for the modern game where strikers have to be able to play on their own.
Like academy team-mate King, Ure will be looking to spend more time with the senior squad in training having made a few match-day squads and he should take every opportunity to listen and learn from his older team-mates and Roy Makaay, he will also be looking for the odd minutes here and there before being fully integrated into the setup.
As we have seen recently though with Patterson, King and Alex Lowry, those that stay at Auchenhowie have a better chance of making the grade and this should be his target not heading out on loan to play in Scotland’s lower leagues.