The arrival of Ross McCausland into the starting lineup has been one of the season’s biggest stories for the Rangers.
Academy talents like Bailey Rice and Zak Lovelace would have been the favorites to cross Auchenhowie’s dressing rooms at the beginning of the season.
Instead, Ross McCausland, who added recognition with Northern Ireland to his Viaplay Cup winner’s medal, has joined Rangers as another international football player. The Light Blues winger is aware that the standard has been increased.
If Ross McCausland takes the next step, the Rangers have a bright future.
McCausland scored goals and made an impression with more direct and aggressive performances to start the season on fire for the B team.
His opportunity came about as a result of the 20-year-old winger’s good fortune and the Rangers’ unfortunate injury record.
Coming off the bench to provide an assist against Hearts at Tynecastle, McCausland made his debut under Giovanni van Bronkhorst.
The initial indications were encouraging.
This season, Steven Davis, a fellow countryman, gave him his break against St Mirren by substituting for fellow academy prospect Lovelace off the bench.
Evidently impressed by what he witnessed, Philippe Clement has retained McCausland’s position and jumped to his defense nwhen questioned about criticism of the youths’ lack of numbers:
“I see a player who was in the second team four months ago and who has already contributed significantly to multiple games this season.
“Playing with the Rangers is a significant step up from playing for the second squad.
“It goes beyond objectives and data. It has to do with everything else you do.
“How he presses, how he wins balls, how he keeps possession for the team, how he works, how he is in the building.
“Four months ago, he was a player playing in the second team who nobody knew.
“Now, he has already played a lot of games for Rangers, been decisive in games and played for his national team.”
McCausland is also aware that he will no longer be allowed to make excuses for his relative inexperience speaking after being revealed on the shortlist for PFA Young Player of the Year:
You go through a phase in the game when it’s all uphill while you’re young. You eventually reach a point where people stop viewing you as a youthful player.
“The only things you can do as a young player is play with fearlessness and a ton of energy.”
McCausland needs to aim for a better final result.
McCausland must now advance to the next phase.
A Rangers winger must be a matchwinner above all other qualities, which include hard work, pressuring, and strong teamwork.
They are the players who are trusted to contribute goals and assists and to exercise the majority of their creativity.
He has made 36 appearances, scoring three goals and providing four assists, but he still has a ways to go before his spot in the starting lineup can be taken for granted.
He has proven that he is trustworthy, which ought to teach Philippe Clement a lesson in and of itself.
Would Cole McKinnon have been able to provide what guys like Kieran Dowell, Jose Cifuentes, and Nicolas Raskin have this season, realistically?
If they aren’t trusted—something Ross McCausland has been fortunate enough to have—we’ll never know.
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