Brilliant Teenagers

Ferguson would have been playing for Rangers at 18 had 9/10 in a row not been a thing.
Probably, as I alluded to Walter gave him 10 or so games in 97/98 but when back to the tried and tested for the run in.

The reason I replied to the poster was that I think the OP’s criteria was players that had contributed a lot in their teens.
 
Ferguson would have been playing for Rangers at 18 had 9/10 in a row not been a thing.
My mate worked beside Derek and Barry's mum, and he told me that she said at the time (when Derek broke through), that her younger boy was even better.

I withdraw my comment then, of " shut the fu ck up", and now propose that Mrs Ferguson gets a job on the scouting staff.
 
Yes,,Derek made his debut in 1970. No one since then?
Well I gave you TWO Derek's (Johnstone and Parlane), and i can offer you a third in Derek Ferguson, but there has been quite a few since the 1960's, that weren't necessarily named Derek, if you care to think about it.
 
Was going to post this, surprised it took til the 17th reply

John Fleck has had a decent career but was billed as being the next big thing
Problem with Fleck is he was billed as the Scottish Rooney and that simply isn't his game. Also fame and pressure at such a young age wasn't good for him.
 
My mate worked beside Derek and Barry's mum, and he told me that she said at the time (when Derek broke through), that her younger boy was even better.

I withdraw my comment then, of " shut the fu ck up", and now propose that Mrs Ferguson gets a job on the scouting staff.

Barry was not as good as Derek, he just made a lot more of his talents.

Durrant was a level above Barry, and Derek could have been as good as Durrant if he wanted to be.

I say all of the above absolute adoring Barry as a player, he was phenomenal.
 
Alex O'Hara was one who broke through to the first team at a very young age. He never really fulfilled his early potential and ended up going to Partick Thistle.
 
Bud Johnston too.
Willie Waddell and Alex Scott.
Bud was my third choice originally, after Henderson and Forrest, but I couldn't ignore Derek Johnstone.
You have to put Willie Thornton (51 Goals in 93 games as a teenager) in there alongside Willie Waddell
 
Iain Macdonald until the 19th Century Terrorist lady's front bottom from Hibs ruined his career.
Might have been early 70s.
Minds away with the fairy's. :shh:
Chris Shevlane cemented him. He played season 1967-68 for Celtic before joining Hibernian.
 
Big Dave McPherson, thought the guy was an outstanding player but couldn't shake Souness blaming him for losing a goal
 
Barry was not as good as Derek, he just made a lot more of his talents.

Durrant was a level above Barry, and Derek could have been as good as Durrant if he wanted to be.

I say all of the above absolute adoring Barry as a player, he was phenomenal.
Derek Feguson was a brilliant player who lost his way.If he had screwed the head he would have been a mainstay in the team for years.Watched him in a lot of reserve games when he was 15/16 years old and he stood out.
 
Sandy Jardine, Davie Wilson, two players that made their first team debut at 18 years old and became club legends.
Davie Wilson is so iconic, that his name is cemented in memories as part of the favourite forward line of a generation of Rangers fans.

I know why he was transferred at 28 years of age, but ffs, he was in his prime at 28!

The man is a legend.
 
The great Jimmy Smith who scored a staggering 18 Goals in 7 Games in Rangers North American tour of 1930, as a Teenager, would go on to score 24 Goals in 23 League Games as a Teenager.

SmithJRangers1936.jpg
 
John McDonald was another who had the added bonus of scoring a couple against them as a young man. For some reason though, he didn't fulfill his potential.
 
Alex O'Hara was one who broke through to the first team at a very young age. He never really fulfilled his early potential and ended up going to Partick Thistle.
Played against him for my school team as a 15 year old,I think it was Grange he played for.He had some build for his age and he also tripped me up off the ball:)
 
Big Dave McPherson, thought the guy was an outstanding player but couldn't shake Souness blaming him for losing a goal
Must admit, I would never have thought of using that adjective to describe Dave McPherson, even after he scored four goals against Valletta when he was barely out of his teens.

In fact one game around then, might have been against Dumbarton, he tripped over his own feet when the ball was up the other end of the park and an old boy behind me said, “That lad will never make it as a Rangers player.”

He was wrong, but I don’t think he was ever what you’d call outstanding.
 
I think the two 'best' to make it were DJ and Ian Durrant.

The two inexplicable disappointments were Derek Ferguson and Charlie Miller.
 
Must admit, I would never have thought of using that adjective to describe Dave McPherson, even after he scored four goals against Valletta when he was barely out of his teens.

In fact one game around then, might have been against Dumbarton, he tripped over his own feet when the ball was up the other end of the park and an old boy behind me said, “That lad will never make it as a Rangers player.”

He was wrong, but I don’t think he was ever what you’d call outstanding.
If you see videos of our games then you'll see how good he was, not many centre half's were as comfortable on the ball. Suffered from being pushed to right back to.
 
Lots of hopes dashed with the likes of O’Hara, Gordon Boyd, Andy Kennedy, Kenny Black, Derek Strickland. Iain MacDonald looked like he might be the real deal and Durrant was without doubt the greatest prospect I have seen. Both Ferguson’s were talents as was John MacDonald.
 
Willie Henderson & Willie Johnston were both playing for Scotland at 18 years old !!!
At that point only Denis Law was younger than these two at representing the national team
Buds debut was not a wishy washy friendly but a world cup qualification game with over a 100,000 in attendance
 
If you see videos of our games then you'll see how good he was, not many centre half's were as comfortable on the ball. Suffered from being pushed to right back to.
McPherson was a very different player when played in centre defence. As you say though he suffered from being played at right back
 
Willie Thornton must be a shout.

He was 16 on his debut, and had a scoring record of around a goal every 2 games in his 80+ first team games as a teenager. He scored 23 league goals in the title winning season of 1938/39, most of them when he was 18.

Edit, just seen @MO_TxTruBlu mentioned him already.
 
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