Fans have bemoaned some of the players missed out on and there are plenty to list
Recent years have seen some frighteningly good talent emerge from Scotland. Nevertheless, neither Celtic nor Rangers have signed many of them.
The Glasgow clubs have been mocked throughout the years for turning down Scottish potential; at times, their recruitment teams have been called “snobbery” for their failure to explore domestically first rather than abroad.
Fans have long lamented the absence of a few prominent names from their clubs’ rosters.
Upon closer examination, however, it becomes evident how many young Scottish players have gone unnoticed.
Not every acquisition needs to be a superstar; many of these players may have developed into reliable squad members at Parkhead or Ibrox while also increasing their domestic roster for play in Europe.
McGinn, John
The face of this campaign. Before he left Hibs, the midfielder’s boyhood team, Celtic, reportedly expressed interest, but they balked at the £3 million the Easter Road men were demanding.
Before establishing himself as not just one of the top midfielders in the Premier League but also the captain of the Midlands team, McGinn rapidly assisted Villa in winning promotion.
In addition, he is ranked joint sixth among all-time Scotland goal scorers and is beloved by the Tartan Army.
Andy Roberts
Another one got through the net, but with Celtic ties. In addition to letting him go from their academy, Celtic also lost two opportunities to reclaim him: first, when Dundee United lured him away from Queen’s Park, and second, when Hull offered £3 million to bring him south when he excelled in the premier league. After Liverpool paid £8 million for him, he went on to become one of the world’s top left-backs—possibly THE best at one point. Even though Celtic made a mistake, he has done rather well on a personal level, as seen by his Champions League medal and Premier League triumph.
Ferguson Lewis
For the Celtics, Ferguson is that guy, if McGinn and Robertson were the ones that slipped away. Despite being released as a young player, he seemed like a clear pick-up while he was playing for Aberdeen. He has clear allegiances to the Ibrox club, where his father Derek and uncle Barry are stars. However, Bologna moved in after Glasgow failed to make a bid, and the 24-year-old has since prospered. He was so good that he was chosen as the star-studded Serie A’s best midfield player for the most recent season. Move to giants Juventus, which was discussed prior to his injury, has put him way beyond the grasp of the Old Firm.
Hickey, Aaron
Another young man freed from Celtic at an early age. At the age of sixteen, Hearts selected him and provided him with the means to debut in their first team, where he shone in a cup final against the Hoops. Though there were serious rumors that he would be returning, Bologna ultimately acquired him for a mere £1.5 million. Similar to Ferguson, who is now a Premier League star after Brentford paid £14 million for his services, it worked well for him.
Dykes, Lyndon
Not quite a homegrown player, but nonetheless a homegrown talent passed over. They were well aware of Dykes because of his impressive performance against both sides of the Old Firm for Livingston. Although he hasn’t been very productive for QPR, he has demonstrated his abilities for Scotland and should be considered a squad option for any Glasgow team.
Porteous, Ryan
If Ryan Porteous had shown up at Ibrox following his altercations with Rangers while playing for Hibs throughout the years, that would have made for an interesting tale, but there had been some rumors about it. was departing Easter Road with just six months remaining on his contract, and was available for just £450,000. After seeing how well he has played for Scotland, you have to wonder why in the world neither team felt that one was worth pursuing.
Lawrence Shankland
Rangers have been pilloried for not signing Shankland in January and it’s thought his goals could have fired them to the title. It is of course one that could still happen but it wouldn’t be the first time he was missed out on. Ian McCall revealed he had conversations with then Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard when Shankland was his player at Ayr United but it came to nothing. He continued to score goals for Dundee United before heading to Beerschot in Belgium. Eyebrows were raised when Hearts brought him back to Scotland but it has proved a masterstroke.
Kenny McLean
A self-proclaimed Rangers fan who has admitted he’d love to play for his boyhood club, the midfielder has forged a decent career in the English Championship and Premier League. A Norwich fan favourite, he was a virtual ever-present again as they narrowly missed out on promotion back to the top flight. It would have cost Celtic and Rangers just £300,000 to sign McLean from St Mirren but it was Aberdeen who got in there, and it was a similar sum that took him to the Canaries near the end of his Dons contract.
Andy Irving
Becomes a Premier League player this summer when he moves to West Ham from their affiliate club Austria Klagenfurt. Even if he doesn’t go on to star for the Hammers, the fact his form in Austria has attracted their attention shows how good a player he is. Left Hearts on a free transfer in 2021 and again cost Klagenfurt nothing after German side Türkgücü München went bust.
Robert Snodgrass
It might not have turned out well for the midfielder at Hearts in the twilight of his career, but when he was at the peak of his powers he was a player either side would’ve loved to have had. A favourite at Leeds after they signed him from Livingston, Snodgrass went on to score and assist goals in the Premier League for Norwich and West Ham.
Steven Fletcher
Could have been signed in his early 20s from Hibs but it was Burnley who paid the £3m required for his services. A year later Fletcher was a £6.5m player after moving to Wolves and after he continued to score in the Premier League, Sunderland paid £12m. Spells at Marseille, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke followed and the 37-year-old is still playing with Hollywood-backed Wrexham.
James McArthur
Came through at Hamilton with James McCarthy and while his pal ended up at Celtic later in his career, McArthur never plied his trade in Glasgow at any stage. Wigan snapped him up for just £500k in 2010, reuniting him with McCarthy. The pair went on to be just as big players for the Latics and McArthur ended up going to Crystal Palace where he would continue to be a mainstay and a key man in the Premier League over nine seasons.
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