How Rangers great's pep talk kept Ibrox kid Ross McCausland on top

Fans of the Glasgow club, on a high after watching their team leapfrog Celtic into top spot the league table at the weekend, now have confidence the Northern Ireland internationalist will make an impact whenever they see his name down on the team sheet before kick-off.

But John Brown, the Rangers great who spent nine years working in the youth department at Auchenhowie after retiring from playing in 1997, knew a long time ago that McCausland had both the ability and mentality needed to make the breakthrough.

Brown, who helped his boyhood heroes dominate Scottish football and complete Nine-In-A-Row during the 1990s, saw the youngster in action in an age-group game last year and realised straight away that he was more than capable of holding his own alongside James Tavernier, John Lundstram and Todd Cantwell at senior level.

He has, then, not been surprised to see the Antrim-born midfielder net in the draw with Aris Limassol in Govan, star in the win over Real Betis in Spain or lift the Viaplay Cup after a narrow triumph over Aberdeen at Hampden in the past four months. 

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“I watched him playing against Everton's under-19s up at the training ground a while back,” he said. “He showed some great ability and some great vision. You definitely saw certain things in his game. The manager's seen something there and the fact that he's kept him in the side is great for the boy and great for his confidence.

“The manager's kept him in for some big games at home and abroad. I saw him at an event recently and I just said to him to keep working as hard as he has been, not just on the ball but off it as well. I think he's deserving of his position in the team.”  

Brown, who is now enjoying his role as a Rangers ambassador after many years working with the scouting and recruitment staff, feels the success which McCausland has savoured during the 2023/24 campaign will inspire his contemporaries.

He would like to see a few more kids force their way into the first team at Ibrox and he is hopeful that Clement, who has played youngsters throughout his coaching career at Waasland- Beveren, Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco, will not be shy about promoting anyone who impresses.

“What Ross has done is great for the guys in the youth department because they can now say to their players 'if you apply yourself the right way, the manager will give you a chance',” he said. 

The Rangers supporters are loving life at the moment – their team are on top of the Premiership for the first time in two years, are in the knockout rounds of the Europa League, are through to the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup and have a chance to complete a world record-equalling eighth domestic treble this season.

Brown, who won 14 major honours and played in the latter stages of the Champions League during the nine years that he spent as a player in Govan, thinks they would love to see more home-grown talents being handed opportunities in the months ahead as well.

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“You've got 50,000 fans at every home game and they want someone to relate to, one of the youth lads coming through the system,” he said. “Ross is a great example of that and hopefully he keeps on going the way he's going. If we can get one or two more into the team it's going to save the manager money to spend on players in the summer.”

Brown was pleased to see Clement strengthen significantly during the January transfer window by bringing in winger Oscar Cortes from Lens in France, midfielder Mohamed Diomande from Nordsjaelland in Denmark and striker Fabio Silva from Wolves in England.

The versatile player, who could play at centre half, full-back and central midfield, helped Rangers to go undefeated in the inaugural Champions League and win the League Cup, Scottish Cup and Premier Division in the 1992/93 season.

He thinks the current manager, who won the Belgian title three years in a row in his homeland, has the strength in depth which he requires to be both competitive and successful in all competitions without having to draft in kids to make up numbers.

“I think he has a strong enough squad,” he said. “There was a lot of talk about strikers in the window, but he's got a reaction out of his players and they're getting goals. He has a few players out injured and they'll come back and add to the squad. 

“Fans have been speaking to me about different strikers that could've come here. But maybe the manager has his own plans for the summer and what will happen then. He'll just be focused on the remainder of the campaign now.

“We're still in all the competitions so he'll have to keep it fresh enough to take each competition on, but he has enough cover in every area of the pitch to do that and his team have good momentum behind them now.”