Rangers played the good samaritan this week by playing host to SPFL hopefuls East Kilbride.
After watching the youth cup final, Philippe Clement will have been keen to take in what the B team players had to offer at Auchenhowie.
The manager is having to cope with a few injuries and there might be space in the Rangers first team with one of the club’s most talked about talents getting a run out in the 5-2 win against East Kilbride.
Rangers B team fixture sees Bailey Rice kicking his heels
This season Bailey Rice signed an extension to his contract that takes the 17-year old up to 2026.
It’s easy to forget how young he still is, but a player of his ability shouldn’t still be playing in the B team.
With three non-competitive games in the last month, it is hardly a fixture schedule to excite the likes of Rice.
It seems like a lifetime ago but it was only this season that Michael Beale was telling fans that the Scotland youth cap was ready for first-team football:
“I’m telling you we’ve got a heck of a player in Bailey Rice. He’s 16 – he’s not 17 until the end of next month.
“So when I introduce him to this mad house, my protection of him is important. But I’m telling you he’s ready.”
However, there is a reason why Cole McKinnon has been preferred whenever midfield cover has been needed with Philippe Clement explaining what the teenager needs to do to make the breakthrough:
“I don’t like to speak too much about individuals but OK I will speak about Bailey (Rice) because he knows.
“He’s for me a really talented player and I think he has a great future in this club but there are also some points we need to work on which are different academy football and the first team, for sure without ball.
“So that’s a really important step to make and he’s going to make that step. If he makes that step then he’s going to be pushing for positions in the first team.”
Rice already facing future decision to progress to next level
Rice is in the same situation as Leon King and Alex Lowry.
Too good for B team football but not quite good enough for regular minutes in the senior side.
What irks though, is players like Kieran Dowell, Jose Cifuentes or Scott Wright blocking the pathway for academy players whilst offering very little when they do get to play.
King has shown that he can play senior football, as has Lowry but they need to be trusted.
No player comes through the youth ranks and is an instant and consistent success – unless their name is Barry Ferguson that is.
Rice shares some of the traits of the Hall of Fame legend in how he plays, he also has a few years on the former skipper in terms of when he made his step up.
At this stage of the season a player like Bailey Rice shouldn’t be playing a bounce game against a Lowland League side.
What he will be doing this time next year could be entirely up to him, if you listen to Clement.
