There is a misconception that Rangers academy isn’t working, that there is no sign of the next Barry Ferguson, Allan McGregor or Ian Durrant.
It’s not quite as simple as that though with players who came through the ranks at Auchenhowie dotted around the Premier League and European football.
Dire Mebude went to Man City and is now in Belgium, Nathan Patterson made us a fortune, Lewis Ferguson was released when he was a teenager and we all know how well Billy Gilmour has developed, he could have been the next Barry Ferguson for Rangers.
From Rangers to Red Bull as Rory Wilson is eyed by big guns
All of these players would be in and around the first team now.
Gilmour and Ferguson would be a cracking pairing in the middle of the park and will always be a source of frustration that they never made the step up from the academy.
The game has changed, we can no longer compete at the sharp end of Europe in terms of finances and who wants to play Kilmarnock or Ross County four, five or six times a season?
There is another name that looks set to join the likes of Patterson, Gilmour and Ferguson as being home grown talent that should be starring at Ibrox.
Aston Villa’s Rory Wilson.
Sold for a seven-figure fee at just 16-years old, he hasn’t stopped scoring goals for Villa’s youth teams and he is approaching the last year of his contract.
Villa are a big club in their own right but now Inter Milan and RB Leipzig are also sniffing about, according to journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
Wilson has the world at his feet
At 18, Wilson is on the cusp of first team football and these teams have clearly seen enough in the Scotland Under-21 international to suggest that he could be about to explode into senior football.
Given Rangers injury issues this season, you have to wonder whether or not Wilson would have made his breakthrough under current manager Philippe Clement.
He has shown that he will trust young players with some of the ones who have played or been in the squad.
At times when Cyriel Dessers was our only fit striker, having someone who could come on for the last 10-15 minutes would have been a big help to the gaffer but even the academy didn’t have anyone capable of stepping up.
Now that he is in England, if Rangers wanted to try and tempt Rory Wilson into a move back up the M6, he would only cost a little over £200,000 due to cross-border regulations.
This wouldn’t kick in until next year and you would think that, because of the interest, that Villa will want him tied up for another few years, at least.
Next season is a big one for the teenager and senior football is a must.
I’d expect someone in England’s lower leagues will take a loan punt on a prolific striker at a Premier League club.
In fact, I wouldn’t be averse to Clement picking up the phone too.
