It says a lot about the esteem in which Owen Beck is held that his role in Dundee’s 7-1 dismantling by Celtic on Wednesday night has largely been dismissed as ‘just one of those things’.
A necessary – if harsh – learning curve for a full-back who the subject of a January offer from Ibrox and is likely to come into the thinking again at Rangers when Borna Barisic’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign.
Owen Beck was torn limb from limb by Celtic – flying winger Yang Hyun-Jun in particularly enthralling form as Brendan Rodgers’ stuttering side blew away the cobwebs with a six-goal first-half – but the 21-year-old is certainly not the first young defender to endure a bit of a nightmare evening against high-class opposition.
Who knows, perhaps it will be to his benefit? A rather brutal lesson, yes, but one Dundee’s Liverpool loanee can adapt from, bouncing back better equipped and more experienced to deal with similar challenges in the future.
Lest we forget that it was only a few months ago that Ridvan Yilmaz – Beck’s fellow left-back – was viewed as something of a busted flush at Ibrox. His remarkable resurgence under Philippe Clement is proof that, under the right coach and in the right environment, a young player can make huge strides in barely a blink of an eye.
Owen Beck has admirers at Rangers
“We practice that in training and you know when people like Owen find space that, if you make that run, they will find you nine times out of ten,” Dundee team-mate Jordan McGhee said after he converted one of Beck’s four assists away to St Johnstone recently (Press and Journal).
“That is where Beck has been outstanding since he has come in (last summer, with his loan deal extended until June). All the boys have come in and been brilliant to a man.”
With his usually devilish delivery from the left-hand side earning comparisons with one Charlie Adam – the former Rangers and Liverpool playmaker renowned for his pinpoint set-pieces – Beck certainly appears to possess many of the creative attributes required from a modern-day full-back.
Borna Barisic replacement may be required
At Rangers, a team who tend to dominate possession against massed defensive ranks, their full-backs are a valuable creative outlet. See James Tavernier’s enduring importance, and the key role Barisic played in their 2021 Premiership triumph under Steven Gerrard.
But that Dundee debacle laid bare the defensive weaknesses which still – and perhaps unsurprisingly – remain in the youngster’s game. Weaknesses which must be ironed out if Owen Beck is to emerge as Yilmaz’s main competitor for the left-back berth at Rangers from 2024/25 onwards.
