Philippe Clement has promised to give youth a chance at Rangers.
But even the Belgian manager wouldn’t have foreseen several of the club’s academy talents winding up on the park against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Injuries have prevented opportunities for the club’s young players with Findlay Curtis, Zak Lovelace, Bailey Rice and Paul Nsio all sniffing around the first-team squad.
Now one of Rangers’ most promising youngsters has officially put to pen to paper on a new contract after impressing at the Theatre of Dreams.
Rangers agree new Findlay Curtis contract
Rangers have announced that 18-year-old academy attacker Findlay Curtis has signed a new contract at Ibrox.
Reports earlier in the week suggested Rangers were set to tie Curtis down on a new deal and Philippe Clement admits he’s ‘delighted’ to get the contract signed.
Speaking to the Rangers website, the Ibrox manager paid tribute to the winger and insists Curtis has earned his first-team opportunities in recent weeks.
“We are delighted that Findlay has committed his future to Rangers,” Clement told the Rangers website.
“He is a player who has been around our first-team set-up for a significant period of time and his hard work and dedication has been immediately clear in the opportunities he has been afforded in recent weeks.
“As a boyhood Rangers fan, he is well aware of what it takes to represent this club, and I look forward to his continued development over the coming years.”
Rangers winger wants to ‘keep on pushing’ at Ibrox
Findlay Curtis too is delighted to have signed a new contract at Rangers and is focused on making progress at his boyhood club.
Having come off the bench against Fraserburgh and then again at Old Trafford, the 18-year-old winger is reaping the benefits after an impressive run of goals at academy level.
It’s now about kicking on and making a bigger impact on the first-team and the kid is fully aware that the hard work has got to continue.
”It’s a proud day for myself, my family and friends, and it’s a good feeling to commit my future to the club,” said Curtis.
“The manager has been so helpful with me and he has given me the confidence to keep on pushing. He said to me that my chance would come and to be patient.
“It’s now about keeping my head down, continuing to work hard, and the rewards will come.”
With Findlay Curtis signing a new contract at Rangers the club will hope to tie up a deal with another of the club’s brightest academy talents.
Rangers remain in negotiations with Zak Lovelace over a deal with the ex-Millwall striker also playing a role in the Ibrox first-team this season.
