What’s the story Ross McCrorie is the question being asked by every Rangers fan right now, with the young centre-back having only made his first-team debut in September, coming on for the 94 times capped Bruno Alves in a league cup quarterfinal match at Firhill.
His rise over the last month or so has been quiet, but extremely effective taking his place in the the Gers back line and looking as if he was a seasoned pro with years of first-team experience under his belt. You only have to ask Rob Kiernan and another youth prospect at one point Ross Perry how difficult playing centre-half for Rangers can be.
Young McCrorie has snuck under the radar slightly, progressing through the youth system along with his twin brother Ross (a goalkeeper). In 2016 Ross was sent out on loan to Ayr helping them to gain promotion in the process playing a total of 15 games and getting two goals. In 2017 the promising youngster was once more sent out on loan this time to Dumbarton in order once again to gain vital first team experience and assist one can only assume in teaching him all the tricks more senior and lesser opponent’s get up to, teaming him up with his former youth team coach Ian Durrant in the process.
Despite being in and around the Rangers squad at the start of this season there was no chatter of a impeding prospect ready to make the step up with the arrivals of both Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso places looked limited in the centre back roles. Perhaps like with any players development luck played a factor here big Bruno going off injured in the league cup match opened the door for the youngster to showcase his talents and to be fair he hasn’t looked back since. The display left then manager Pedro Caixinha proclaiming young McCrorie as not only Rangers but Scotland’s future at centre-half.
His first start for the club was to quickly follow in a disappointing defeat against our cross-city rivals, with the only positive being the display especially in the first half of the youngster his reading tackling and positional play really was something ahead of his years or experience.
More recently we have seen the youngster not only holding his place but looking ever more assured along with Danny Wilson at the heart of the defence leaving the at one time first pick Bruno Alves to warm the bench, even scoring a wonderful header in the victory over Partick at Ibrox.
Yes it’s early days and a note of caution must always be applied when it comes to young talent after all prospects are suspect until proven otherwise, but if young McCrorie keeps progressing in the manner he has he might just prove his old gaffer correct and Rangers might just have unearthed a true gem in the modern game as good centre-backs are hard to find.