One of the pillars of Rangers development that Philippe Clement has to help improve is the pathway through to the first team.
The academy is capable of producing good players who can support the senior squad, however, there aren’t enough playing regular minutes.
The result, is that the step up from the B team to playing for the manager in the first team is a big step at Rangers, however, one Auchenhowie graduate is showing how it should be done out on loan.
Rangers should reconsider Johnly Yfeko transfer decision
When Johly Yfeko signed from Leiceister City after his contract with the Premier League outfit expired, it was impossible to stop comparisions with Calvin Bassey.
As a left-sided, physically imposing centre-half that was rough around the edges, there were more than a few similarities.
The biggest difference between the two is in how they play the game though, and physicality is where the similarities end.
Neither had experienced senior football before stepping foot on the hallowed turf at Ibrox but they have both shown that this isn’t an issue with the right attitude.
Bassey is now flying high with Fulham in the Premier League, whereas Yfeko has hit the ground running at Exeter City on loan at the League One side.
The Devon-based team currently sit in the play-off positions with manager Gary Caldwell a huge fan of Yfeko already, as reported by Devon Live:
“Johnly is a young player with a huge future and if we could tie him down to be a permanent player at this club, then I think it would be a brilliant thing to do,” he said.
“Those discussions will happen and hopefully, that will be a thing where we can bring him into the club on a permanent basis because he is a brilliant player and a player with a huge future.”
“We have things in place where, if he does do well, then we will be the team that can bring him in on a permanent.
“That is in place within the contract, but those discussions will obviously take place with Marcus (Flitcroft) and the club, but he is definitely a player we want to keep for a long time at this club because of the quality he has now and also the potential he has.
“Once he plays more games and gains more experience, then I think he will be a top, top player. I think he has every attribute needed to be a top centre half, he now needs games to build his experience for that to become a reality.”
Rangers must get Yfeko decision right
Hopefully, Rangers can reject the option.
There is no way of knowing how academy players will adapt to senior football until they are playing regularly.
You only need to look across the city and see the £3m that Celtic received for their highly rated prospect Bosun Lawal or the same fee that Mikey Johnston achieved due to a successful loan spell in the Championship.
That’s £6m from two players who would barely make double figures for Celtic this season in terms of appearances were they still at the club.
These are the transfers that add up.
Then, there are players like Callum McGregor, who gained regular game time at Notts County and a similar level to the one that Yfeko is currently at, before becoming a regular feature over the next decade.
Yfeko has clearly impressed, and Rangers will have been keeping tabs on the 21-year old who is now eligible for inclusion in European squads due to how long he has been at the club.
Getting the balance right is key.
Sell at the ideal moment or promote them to the senior squad.
Thankfully, all Caldwell has done is bump up the price tag, if Rangers haven’t already agreed a painfully low one, that is.
