This time last season, it looked like Jack Butland had a good chance of being picked by England and getting on the plane to the European Championships, such was his form for Rangers.
Gareth Southgate snubbed him for two players who were out of form and not playing for their clubs in what is a familiar story in international football.
It was the same for John Souttar who Steve Clarke inexplicably dropped but who now counts the Rangers stopper as his best centre-half.
Managers always have their favourites or make selections based on a hunch or a feeling with John McGinn’s selection when at St Mirren in 2016 raising more than a few eyebrows.
Hindsight has proven it to be the correct decision, however, at the time, one former Rangers star was far from happy with being ignored for a youngster playing in Scotland’s second tier.
John McGinn aims subtle dig at ex-Rangers star Charlie Adam
Charlie Adam was captaining and playing well for Stoke City in the Premier League when Gordon Strachan regularly ignored his calls for international recognition.
The selection of McGinn, in particular, irked the Rangers academy product:
“Scotland see fit to go with players playing in the Championship in Scotland over players who are playing in the Premier League,” Adam moaned at the time.
Addressing the call-up of Rangers-linked Lennon Miller, McGinn recalled his own experience of his first time on senior duty:
“I remember Charlie Adam doing an interview on my first day from Stoke’s training ground asking why there was Scottish Championship players getting called up, which wasn’t too helpful at the time,” said McGinn.
“It was my first lunch at Mar Hall – I remember it – and all the experienced boys were getting right on me saying ‘look, you shouldn’t be in the squad’. So, my session 30 minutes later wasn’t great, it was nerve-wracking.”
“I don’t think Charlie was meaning it at me individually or personally at the time, just the timing of it was a bit of a disaster.”
Who was the Rangers wonderkid called up in the Championship?
Two years before McGinn indirectly annoyed Adam with his call-up, Lewis MacLeod was doing exactly the same.
The then 20-year old was the great hope for Rangers and was already carrying the club in his formative years.
A regular for the Scotland youth teams, MacLeod was called up in November 2014 for a Euro 2016 qualifier with the Republic of Ireland and a friendly with England.
He made the bench for the England game, but never got to hit the heights that McGinn has since.
Injury all but ended MacLeod’s career as a 21-year old after moving to Brentford, however, he is back in Rangers colours, as a coach working with the Under-14s.
MacLeod never wanted to leave as he has explained in the past.
His career might have been short, but the next generation of hopefuls will do well to listen to someone who had all the talent, but none of the luck.
