DAVID MCCALLUM is confident his Hampden heroes will continue to progress through the Ibrox ranks and catch the eye of boss Steven Gerrard.
Rangers lifted the Scottish Youth Cup at the National Stadium on Thursday night thanks to goals from Ciaran Dickson, Dapo Mebude and Nathan Young-Coombes.
It is the first time in five years the Light Blues have won the competition and Under-18 boss McCallum hopes Gerrard was impressed with the performance as he watched on from the stands.
“How soon, I don’t know,” he said when asked if his players could earn a first team shot. “Obviously that is not my decision but the fact is that a lot of these guys have had a lot of Reserve exposure as well over the course of the season and some have managed to train with the first team as well.
“That would be the hope, we have still got some first team games to go as well. From a Reserve point of view, we have got the Glasgow Cup on Tuesday and another league game to go.
“If the manager gives them more training opportunities then you never know. It is down to the players to take the opportunity.
“Ultimately, each level you progress up from 18s to Reserves, there is a change up in the intensity, the quality, the speed of play. When you go to the first team, that changes again.
“That exposure to that then challenges them to a level that they have to maintain and if they want to get that opportunity more often they have to reach those levels on a more consistent basis.”
Rangers burst into an early lead as Dickson and Mebude netted but were pegged back at the start of the second half when Cameron Harper and Paul Kennedy scored twice in quick succession.
It was the Ibrox kids that won it, though, as Young-Coombes headed home to cap a memorable night for Rangers.
McCallum said: “The best way to describe the game is interesting. We got two quick goals and the game settled down and both teams had chances but we were frustrated at half time.
“Middle to front we were good but the back to the middle we needed more control instead of going long.
“We spoke to them at half time but I don’t know how much they listened to by the way we started the second half.
“Credit to Celtic to come out and put us on the back foot and make us defend to get back to 2-2.
“We showed character to go on and win the game, and miss a penalty as well so we are pleased.”
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