Rangers youth keeper Jay Hogarth reached double figures for clean sheets at Alloa recently and is enjoying a successful loan spell in League One.
The Wasps are looking to secure promotion back to the Championship and Hogarth has been at the heart of the defence, making 37 appearances all season.
Developing goalkeepers is never an exact science, however, the more talented Auchenhowie prospects tend to be sent out on loan to get proper game time.
That Allan McGregor is our only successful loanee to return to the club and make a sustained first-team impact says it all.
The Scotland youth international is under contract until 2025 so he will, probably, be given the chance to go out and get more minutes at a higher-level next season.
As we have seen with Robby McCrorie though, successful loan spells don’t always equate to first-team opportunities at Ibrox.
What record has Rangers keeper Jay Hogarth broken for Alloa?
For the first time in 20 years, Alloa have won three successive away fixtures whilst keeping clean sheets in the process.
It was his tenth clean sheet of the season and the first time the Indodrill Stadium outfit have won three away games consecutively since 2017.
Jay’s brother Nicky is also a keeper and, in fact, the two brothers faced each other earlier this season – the elder brother coming out on top.
Nicky, who left Rangers for Nottingham Forest in 2021, was on loan at Falkirk as the 21-year old looked to get much needed senior experience, conveniently, in his home town.
Hogarth, alongside McCrorie, will be looking for a promotion next season and Michael Beale will be keeping an eye on the performances of the teenager.
Replacing Allan McGregor is never going to be easy and every Auchenowie product will always be measured by his standards, whether they like it or not.
It might be unrealistic but it is the level that Hogarth must aspire to if he wants to be number one at Ibrox.
If he continues on his current path, you never know.
