Rangers winger Ross McCausland has been hailed as an exciting player by a former Northern Ireland youth coach.
The Philippe Clement era has started pretty much perfectly for Rangers.
Four wins from four in the Scottish Premiership, a Viaplay Cup final appearance secured and four points from two Europa League games.
Clement is working wonders in his early weeks at Ibrox, and we are now seeing him bring through a real talent in Ross McCausland.
Rangers prospect Ross McCausland praised
20-year-old McCausland played just two minutes of first-team action under Michael Beale.
The winger was kept around at Ibrox by Beale rather than going out on loan, but that didn’t translate to first-team minutes.
Clement has come in and given McCausland a chance, even starting him on the right flank against Livingston on Sunday afternoon.
McCausland has already played 127 minutes under Clement and is being given a much bigger role than he had under Beale.
Former Northern Ireland coach Gerard Lyttle – who saw McCausland’s rise up through the ranks – has now offered his view to the The Scottish Daily Mail (15/11, p67).
Lyttle notes that McCausland doesn’t have absolutely ‘electric’ pace but he can go past defenders easily thanks to his talent on the ball.
Lyttle isn’t surprised by McCausland’s rise into the Rangers first team but thought Beale would have given him more of a chance.
The Cliftonville assistant boss added that Clement has been ‘brilliant’ in terms of giving McCausland a chance and thinks his ‘no-fear’ approach is ideal for attacking football.
“I wouldn’t say his pace is electric, but it takes him past defenders and he can go inside or outside,” said Lyttle. “He’s a talented boy and it doesn’t surprise me one bit that he’s broken through. What does surprise me, to be honest, is that I thought it might have happened a wee bit earlier. Maybe under Michael Beale.”
“I think the new manager has come in and been brilliant. He’s identified there’s a raw talent – in his eyes – who has no fear. It’s probably what Rangers need at this moment in time in terms of excitement. If you’re playing in an attacking team, Ross will give you that directness and speed of thought. It’s that no-fear attitude about taking people on. He just does it naturally. And he’ll get goals” he added.
Rangers are allegedly looking into signing a winger in January, so McCausland may soon face some more competition.
For now though, the Northern Irishman is making a big impact and looks like a player who can shine for Rangers right now as well as in the long term.
Seeing a player rise up like this is always exciting and Rangers fans will be right behind McCausland as he seeks more and more minutes in Clement’s first team.
