A year ago Ross McCausland had only trained with the Rangers first-team five times.
Now the young Northern Irish winger has the chance to be a hero at Hampden for his boyhood club against Old Firm rivals Celtic.
With the Scottish Cup Final on the horizon, Philippe Clement has been clear that this is the chance of once last hurrah for many of Rangers’ departing stars.
A cup double will give supporters a semblance of hope next season, even if many of the club’s current crop won’t be around to build on it.
But one player who will be in the Rangers squad next season is Ross McCausland and, after impressing as the Scottish Premiership wound to a close, he looks to have earned his Scottish Cup shot at glory.
McCausland has been a Rangers ‘positive’
Scoring in back-to-back Premiership matches against Dundee and Hearts, Philippe Clement singled out Ross McCausland following the 3-3 draw at Tynecastle.
Describing the 20-year-old winger a rare ‘positive’ amid the misery of the club’s injury situation, it is clear the Rangers manager thinks highly of the ex-Linfield winger.
Clement also thinks McCausland is getting back to his best after a crippling challenge in the defeat to Motherwell interrupted the winger’s development.
“If you see the last couple of weeks how our young boys came into the team,” Clement told the press after the 3-3 draw with Hearts.
“How (the) young boys are growing, like Ross, today also with a really good goal.
“That was a player who last season Ross who trained five times with the first-team in all season.
“Now he’s played already a lot of games. Pity that he was kicked off the pitch for eight to ten weeks a few months ago because he lost the momentum when he was growing.
“But I see best Ross coming back and positive things also about Robbie (Fraser), about Cole McKinnon, Johnly (Yfeko) in the training.
“So we’re working hard on that and that’s also a positive thing I think.”
Gers star earns Scottish Cup Final chance
With major doubts surrounding several of the club’s first-team attackers, we could certainly do worse than back young Ross from the off against Celtic.
The winger has come off the bench in both clashes at Celtic Park this season but is yet to make his first start for Rangers in the Old Firm fixture.
That goal v Hearts really was an effort of the highest quality and the kid’s attitude is in stark contrast to the indulgence of some of the more egotistical members of the Ibrox dressing room.
Ross McCausland has been the poster boy of the Rangers Academy this season and the winger has grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
If he is given the nod v Celtic, and we reckon he’s earned it, then it’s another chance for this talented young winger to defy the doubters and prove that he was it takes to be a big-game player for the club.
