Rangers youngster Ross McCrorie is being reinvented as a right-back by Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett [Portsmouth News] with questions now being raised over where McCrorie will now play long-term.
Originally moulded as a centre-back, Steven Gerrard pushed McCrorie into central midfield after suggesting his career could have been destroyed by mismanagement in an Old Firm demolition.
Now on loan down on the English south coast, could the youngster’s latest reinvention make him a long-term replacement to the under-fire James Tavernier?
Whilst this is absolutely no suggestion that McCrorie should be recalled to replace Tav or anything as outlandish as that, McCrorie has the attributes to establish himself in the position long after Tav.
A top reader of the game and someone who never shirks a tackle, he has solid defensive attributes.
On top of that, McCrorie is a willing runner and incredibly hard-worker, one of the reasons why Steven Gerrard saw fit to move him into the engine room at Ibrox.
Going forward, the youngster may still have a lot to prove but there’s little doubt that for a defensively-minded player the 21-year-old is comfortable on the ball.
Rangers may not have seen McCrorie’s development in the right-back berth during his time in League One, but if he can bring success to Pompey from that position it’s another string to his bow.
As for replacing our captain in the future, he has a few years to go but it’ll be interesting to see how Rangers use McCrorie upon his return.
Will the club continue to mould McCrorie in midfield or move him out to the right? Or will they do both?
There’s no harm in being a versatile option for Rangers.
