2025 has been a year of many debuts at Glasgow Rangers.
Rafael Fernandes featured for the first time as Philippe Clement’s outfit put four goals past Ross County last weekend.
The revelation that is Clinton Nsiala started as he meant to go on against Dundee. Teen duo Paul Nsio and Findlay Curtis have also forced their way onto the fringes of the Rangers first-team since the turn of the year.
But if Nsio, Curtis, Bailey Rice and co are the future at Ibrox, south of the border, you will struggle to find a more impactful debut performance than the one produced by a Rangers prospect of the relatively recent past last weekend.
Former Rangers prospect Andrew Dallas hits brace on Morecambe debut
Andrew Dallas would never progress far enough through the ranks to secure himself a role in the club’s Premiership plans – he departed without a single senior appearance when joining Cambridge United in 2019 – but this most nomadic of attackers may finally have found a home on England’s west coast.
Joining Morecambe on loan from Barnsley during the winter window, Dallas has now featured for a staggering 11 clubs since making his senior bow during a temporary spell with Stenhousemuir seven years ago.
The latest swerve in what has been a career full of ups and downs, chops and changes, Dallas now finds himself in England’s League Two after falling as far as the National League and rising as high as the third-tier.
And in just one outing in a Morecambe shirt, the now-25-year-old forward is already on the verge of exceeding his goal tally from 19 appearances at divisional rivals Barrow in 2023/24.
In a slow-burning career, this was a rapid-fire start.
“He’s a goalscorer, he wants to score goals and get shots away,” Morecambe’s assistant coach Danny Grainger said after last weekend’s dramatic, Dallas-inspired 4-2 win over local rivals Fleetwood Town, labelling the striker’s performance ‘superb’.
“Andy Dallas coming in, getting his two goals. I’m absolutely delighted for him. He’s a great lad, he’s straightinto the dressing room and he’s shown his quality already. Fingers crossed now he can kick on.
“It’s always nice to get your first goal for a new club. He’s got two on his first start, it’s just tremendous.”
Dallas reflects on ‘special moment’ in League Two survival fight
Second-bottom Morecambe, staring down the barrel of relegation out of the football league, had scored just 21 goals in 27 league matches before Dallas arrived. He alone would be hard pressed rescuing The Shrimpers from the frying pan, but what he does bring to the party is a much-needed predatory instinct in the penalty area.
Dallas’ first Morecambe goal was one of the stand-out strikes of the League Two weekend. Shifting onto his weaker left, the Rangers academy graduate lashed into the bottom corner.
His second, coming via his favoured right, was thundered into the roof of the net when the ball dropped loose in the penalty area.
Five years after leaving Rangers in pursuit of the sort of regular first-team football which proved beyond him at Ibrox – after forgettable spells with Cambridge, Barnsley and Barrow, and after failing to score a single goal in 29 games combined with Kilmarnock and Oldham Athletic – could this be the turning point in a career which promised much but has delivered less than a Pizza delivery boy with a questionable work ethic?
“I think, the biggest thing today, was winning,” Dallas said after firing Morecambe to only their sixth win of the campaign. “But to get the goals on top of that, I’m obviously delighted. It was amazing to be a part of.
“Just happy to chip in. I work hard on both feet. Sometimes my left is better than my right! I was just delighted to see it hit the back of the net in front of the fans. A special moment for me.”
