Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is looking for the next Ross McCrorie or Glenn Middleton coming through the club’s academy, as reported by The Scottish Sun.
The Rangers reserve and youth teams have a chance of winning a Scottish league and cup double this season after an exceptional campaign under Graeme Murty, but Gerrard has admitted he doesn’t care about silverware at that level, it’s all about who is the next talent who can make a first-team impact.
As quoted by The Scottish Sun, the Ibrox boss said:
I think the guys are doing a good job at the academy. Winning the reserve league and winning the youth cup, I don’t want this to come out the wrong way, but it’s not the priority for me.
It’s where’s the next Ross McCrorie? Where’s the next Glenn Middleton? They’re the players that’s going to help us achieve things with the first-team and that’s priority.
If along the way we manage to win the reserve league or youth cup, great, good for the kids, good experience to win and that’s all fantastic.
But my priority is who’s next? It saves the board an awful lot of money having to go out and buy people and loan people. The constant message from first-team down is, who’s next?
It’s interesting to hear him call out McCrorie and Middleton as prime examples of what the second string can offer the first-team squad.
He has given both extensive game time this season but perhaps not as much as some fans would like, especially in the second half of the season.
Clearly though Gerrard is a massive fan of the duo and his comments bode well for them heading into the next campaign, with the manager perhaps feeling he doesn’t need to go out and sign players for their positions.
Hopefully other young players aren’t far behind them.