The European Under-17s Championships are underway and Rangers will be keeping an eye on the progress of three of their hottest prospects.
Zak Lovelace for England and Bailey Rice for Scotland have made their respective squads and have already tasted first team action under Michael Beale.
Rangers Under-18 defender Leyton Grant will also be hoping to make an impact for Scotland on the big stage.
Lovelace and Rice, who are still just 16, will be wanting to impress before taking another step towards senior football next season.
Football Talent Scout has named their two players from each country to keep an eye on and there is a bitter sweet reflection for Rangers.
Bailey Rice has been named alongside former Rangers prospect Rory Wilson, who followed Steven Gerrard to Aston Villa last summer.
Rangers were well compensated for such a young player, however, it’s frustrating when you consider that he might have seen game time over the closing games given our current striker issue.
Like Billy Gilmour and Dire Mebude, very much, one that got away.
An opportunity to impress for Rangers hopefuls Bailey Rice and Zak Lovelace
For Lovelace and Rice, they have been in and around the first team for a while now and, despite being so young, this should encourage them to stick around and commit to the club.
Producing talented club trained players makes like a lot easier for managers in UEFA competitions and both will be eligible for inclusion when they turn 19.
Both players have shown glimpses of what they can do.
Rice, his maturity is in his technical ability, composure and vision, essential for a midfielder.
Lovelace is still raw but has a skill set and athleticism that gives him a great chance of making it.
Unfortunately, what this means is that neither will be able to play for Rangers between now and the end of the season, however, exposing them to best v best will be just as beneficial for their development.
A challenging 3-1 defeat against defending champions France will be as hard as it gets though for Rice and Grant.
Hopefully, for the rest of the tournament, they do themselves, their club, and their reputations proud.
