The exodus of young players leaving Rangers to head across the border has been halted for now, but it won’t be long until there is a new name linked with an exit.
The Auchenhowie conveyor belt hasn’t been as productive as first thought when players like Leon King and Alex Lowry were being eyed for Premier League moves.
One player who did was Nathan Young-Coombes, a talented forward capable of playing on the wing or through the middle of the attack and who had a penchant for scoring big goals for the Rangers academy teams.
Nathan Young-Coombes clubless three years after Rangers exit
When Young-Coombes joined Brentford in 2021, it wasn’t because he was desperate to leave the club, but because he had grown homesick, not helped by the Covid-19 pandemic seeing him spend a lot of time on his own and away from his family.
Despite a blistering start to his Bees career in their B team scoring over 30 goals, the solitary Premier League appearance at the end of 2022/23 remains the highlight of a career that now sees the 21-year old without a club.
Young-Coombes was highly rated at Rangers and at Brentford but remains unattached, which doesn’t make any sense.
What did former coach say about Young-Coombes ability?
The comments made by Brentford coach Neil MacFarlane give an insight into just how much potential the former Chelsea academy product has:
“We know that he has been highly thought of at Rangers and he is the sort of number nine which aren’t easy to find,” proclaimed MacFarlane.
“He’s somebody that will play on the shoulder of defenders, and he can also bring other players into the game. He possesses a real goal threat and a high level of finishing. Once Nathan has got a good pre-season with us under his belt then I’m sure he will fly for us.”
The plight of Young-Coombes highlights just how cutthroat a business football is. He hadn’t quite “made it”, but he had played in the Premier League.
By definition, there must be a team somewhere in England or Scotland that could do with a young forward who is capable of scoring goals at a decent level.
As the likes of King and Lowry have shown though, sometimes, the step from talented teen to senior regular, is just too big too take for some.
