When Rangers signed Zak Lovelace from Millwall earlier in the season, it was something of a coup. The 16-year old striker having already played senior football and yet was persuaded to join a project where he would be starting in the Scottish league’s fifth tier.
A blistering start has seen him score some well taken goals and his impressive physique has seen some fans call for him to be promoted to the first-team squad already.
Speaking to The Glasgow Times, the forward said of his first weeks at Rangers:
“I sometimes wander around the facility (Auchenhowie) itself to look at all the monumental things that surround the club. I just take it all in.
“It’s great having the first team down the hall. I can see some players and it pushes me to do the best I can.
“All the coaching staff have been really nice to me and David and Brian have been giving me tips on what I need to do and helping me during sessions.
“It’s great to have coaches that support you and push you to get into the first team.”
There have been a lot of new faces arrive into the academy and it would appear that the success of Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey, Leon King and Alex Lowry has shown that there is a pathway for them to get into the first-team if they have the talent and the attitude to match.
Lovelace certainly appears to have the talent and the physicality to progress and the early signs are that he also has the want and desire, he maybe won’t be spending long in the Lowland League after all.