Highly-rated young Rangers defender Lewis Mayo made his first appearance for Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday, just a day after joining on loan.
The centre-back was one of three Gers prospects to secure loan exits to Championship clubs on Friday, with James Maxwell signing for Queen of the South and Josh McPake heading to Greenock Morton.
#RangersFC can today announce Lewis Mayo, Josh McPake and James Maxwell have moved to the @spfl Championship on-loan.
Mayo heads to @officialdafc, McPake to @Morton_FC Morton and Maxwell will join @OfficialQosFC.
👉 https://t.co/i4mo15ydT4 pic.twitter.com/RtyJODmxJd
— Rangers B & Academy (@RFC_Youth) September 25, 2020
Mayo is perhaps the most highly thought of at Ibrox right now, though, despite having not yet made his competitive debut for the club.
The Scotland U21 international took part in pre-season with the first-team, impressing when introduced off the bench against Lyon in the Trophee Veolia.
WAYNE ROONEY TO EVERTON IS A JOKE.
Yet, with Connor Goldson, Filip Helander, Leon Balogun and George Edmundson all ahead of him in the pecking order, it was the right call to send him out on loan.
Promising Rangers centre-back Lewis Mayo has joined Dunfermline on loan. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Mayo needs minutes in senior football after his first loan experience at Partick Thistle was cut short by the global health crisis, and it certainly looks as though he will get them at East End Park.
Despite the 24-hour turnaround, Stephen Crawford named Mayo in his starting XI for their behind-closed-doors friendly against East Fife on Saturday afternoon.
| #EastFifeFC 🆚 #DAFC | Closed Doors Friendly
20 Cammy Gill
2 Aaron Comrie
26 Lewis Mayo
5 Euan Murray (c)
19 Miller Fenton
11 Ryan Dow
12 Fraser Murray
4 Kerr McInroy
23 Dom Thomas
7 Kevin O’Hara
8 Kyle Turner pic.twitter.com/4UMoxmBAn5— Dunfermline Athletic (@officialdafc) September 26, 2020
Trialists were involved on both sides and there were substitutions galore during the game but it looks as though Mayo was given the full 90 minutes at the heart of defence to help him settle in.
Kevin O’Hara’s goal won it for the Pars, who have recruited heavily in recent weeks but face the difficult prospect of replacing the prolific Kevin Nisbet‘s goals this season, after the striker’s move to Hibernian.
Mayo’s first competitive match for Dunfermline is likely to come on 6 October in a League Cup tie against Dumbarton.
Elsewhere, James Maxwell made his first appearance for Queen of the South in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Airdrieonians.