Earlier this week, promising young Rangers attacker, Josh McPake, joined Dundee on a six-month loan.
At 17, he’s very young to be heading elsewhere to play senior football. Yet, to an extent, his performances demanded it.
In recent weeks, he’s scored against two senior clubs in the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup as well as against Chelsea U23s. In short, he’s ready for the challenge.
The question we ask now, though, is, is his partner in crime at development level, Dapo Mebude, also ready?
Should Rangers youngster Mebude look for loan stint?
Over the 2018/19 season and the start of this new campaign, McPake and Mebude have combined extremely well for Gers Academy teams.
Both were prominent members of the Youth Cup-winning and Reserve League-winning sides from last campaign. At the start of this term, both players netted away at Berwick in the aforementioned Challenge Cup and while only McPake scored in the second round, Mebude was singled out for praise by Graeme Murty [Rangers.co.uk].
Both players also have a solitary appearance for the Rangers first team. Mebude’s came on the final day of last season at Kilmarnock, while McPake’s came last month against St Joseph’s. Both starlets made their respective debuts aged 17.
It’s clear that these are two promising talents on very similar career trajectories.
Yet, there are several additional criteria that must be factored in. McPake is tall and well-built for his age. Therefore, naturally, he’s likely to find the jump to senior football less of a physical challenge.
Yet, a ‘physical challenge’ is exactly what Graeme Murty described last week’s trip to Stranraer as for Mebude [Rangers.co.uk]. The teenager came through it well, but is he ready for that week in week out? Has he mastered the development system to the extent McPake has?
From the outside, it’s also difficult to establish the various personalities involved. Even though Mebude is a touch older than McPake, 18 is still a young age to head away on loan. The likes of Stephen Kelly and Cammy Palmer embarked on their first loans this summer, aged 19.
Would there be a suitable club for him to join near Glasgow? Would he be comfortable heading further afield?
These are all questions that must be considered ahead of any potential exit. Each player is different and just because they’ve been on similar paths up until now, doesn’t mean Mebude must immediately follow McPake’s lead.
Perhaps the Rangers Academy coaches will think he needs another six months with the Colts and in the gym. Maybe they’ll think he’s ready to go right now.
Either way, it’s important to make a considered call on Mebude. He’s clearly a promising talent and at his age, it’s important good decisions are made, in order to give him the best possible chance of making it.
