The international break isn’t exactly the most popular time of year amongst football fans everywhere, never mind Rangers supporters.
Club football is routinely interrupted – this is the third month in a row where there’s been an international break – and it’s two weeks of mind-numbing football combined with that niggling fear your star player might get injured.
But this disruptive fortnight has been good for Rangers so far for one main reason; results and performances so far have shown the burgeoning value of this talented young Rangers squad.
Scotland midfielder Ryan Jack played 90 minutes and staked a claim for a starting berth as the national team beat Cyprus 2-1.
One pundit even believes he can make it his own in the coming years [BBC Radio Scotland].
Joe Aribo has been earning rave reviews for his performances with Nigeria, with former England international John Fashanu describing him as “exceptional”.
Glen Kamara has been central to Finland’s march to Euro 2020, and along with Filip Helander of Sweden and Borna Barisic of Croatia will be at the tournament this summer.
Steven Davis – despite missing a penalty for Northern Ireland in the 0-0 draw against Holland – broke the midfield cap record for a British player.
Granted, at 34 he doesn’t exactly fall into the category of burgeoning young talent.
And – to top it all off – Rangers fan favourite Alfredo Morelos got his first goal for Colombia with a last-minute winner against Peru.
With the second round of fixtures set to take place across the course of the next week, there’s even more time for Rangers’ international talent to grab yet more headlines.
It is a testament to the club’s progress that so many Rangers players are becoming difference makers at international level.
It also means the club, for the first time in a long time, have a team of genuinely, valuable international assets.
Going by their performances for club and country, that value is only going to increase in the coming months too.
