Rangers faced Aberdeen at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon but for a number of Gers fringe players and youth hopefuls, there were more pressing matters this weekend as they turned out for their respective loan clubs.
With a handful of senior players who have no future at Ibrox out, there are also many young talents who are hoping to force their way into the first-team plans under Steven Gerrard.
There are players from Rangers on loan in six of the eight senior leagues in Scotland and England leaving loan manager Billy Kirkwood busy keeping up to date with their progress.
Here we look at how some of the Gers loanees performed for their respective clubs this weekend:
Robby McCrorie – Queen of the South
Played the full game as QotS drew 1-1 with Dundee at Palmerston last night. McCrorie made a number of important saves to deny James McPake’s side and deny them a win. McCrorie has made 11 appearances so far for the Dumfries side and is really starting to come into his own.
Ross McCrorie – Portsmouth
Remained on the bench for Pompey as they took on Bolton Wanderers in League One. Brett Pitman’s goal was the difference as Portsmouth won 1-0.
Jake Hastie – Rotherham United
Hastie started for the Millers as they faced Bristol Rovers. The winger looked to continue his blistering start for Paul Warne’s side after scoring three times in his first four games. Jonson Clarke-Harris’ strike denied Rotherham anything from the game though as they slipped to a 1-0 defeat by Bristol Rovers with Hastie playing the full 90 minutes.
Cammy Palmer – Partick Thistle
Rangers youth star was named in Ian McCall’s starting XI as the new Jags boss got his reign underway with a trip to face Inverness CT. Scored Partick’s third in a 3-1 win to cap off an impressive afternoon for the young midfielder.
Zak Rudden – Plymouth Argyle
Rudden missed out as Argyle faced Mansfield Town, with the Gers Academy star sent back to Scotland for treatment after a knee problem ruled him out of last week’s game with Cheltenham.
Glenn Middleton – Hibs
The winger played 70 minutes as Paul Heckingbottom’s side took points off Celtic at Easter Road. Was involved in a massively controversial moment as referee Kevin Clancy stopped play following Moritz Bauer’s slip which left Middleton through on goal. Created a number of chances as the Hibees looked for a second goal before being replaced by Daryl Horgan for the final 20 minutes.
Jordan Rossiter – Fleetwood Town
The midfielder continued his return to regular football with another start for Fleetwood away to Shrewsbury Town. The Cod Army picked up a really impressive 3-0 win with Rossiter playing the full 90 minutes.
Aidan McAdams & Aidan Wilson – Edinburgh City
McAdams started between the posts for the Citizens as they looked to keep the pressure up on Cove Rangers at the top of League Two with a 2-1 win over Queen’s Park. Wilson wasn’t involved as he continues his recovery from injury.
Josh McPake – Dundee
McPake played 50 minutes for Dundee as they picked up a 1-1 draw away to Queen of the South. The Gers kid had a couple of chances at goal and put in a decent shift as the Dens Park side continued their winless run on the road this season. Former Rangers midfielder Graham Dorrans made his first start for Dundee in the draw.
Matty Shiels – Dumbarton
Shiels started on the bench for the Sons as they faced Clyde in League One. Came on for the final 30 minutes but couldn’t prevent his side from falling to a 2-1 defeat despite going ahead.
Stephen Kelly & Jordan Houston – Ayr United
Kelly started while Houston was on the bench as Ayr named an unchanged side to face Arbroath as they adjust to life without Ian McCall. Kelly scored the third in a 3-0 win while Houston was a first-half substitute, replacing Mark Kerr after 41 minutes. Three goals in the opening 27 minutes were enough for the Honest Men as they picked up an impressive win.