Academy players who never quite made it

Blueandwhitedynamite said:
Remember about 20 odd years ago there was a guy called Paul McShane who was scoring loads of goals in the reserves / youth team but never trained on . Might have played 1 game , ended up in Iceland for a spell I think before drifting out the game .
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I remember Paul well, one of his relatives organised a visit to Ibrox for me.

Good guy, loved Rangers and could certainly bang them in, outscored super Ally in club goals for a couple of seasons also.

Married a girl from Iceland and spent a number of years over there playing.
 
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Nearly all of our biggest prospects go on to do very little in the game. It’s a sad state of affairs really.

At worst the ones spoken about as potential future first teamers should be able to go on and play at a decent level, and most don’t.
 
bluewonder said:
Sandy Robertson looked the real deal in 90/91 when he rounded Bonner to set up Hateley to score against the filth and he scored that crucial goal at Love street in the title run in.

I think he enjoyed the Glasgow nightlife a bit too much and got involved in a couple of scrapes. I think he was let go and never heard off again.

John Spencer and Gary McSwegan were both decent prospects but were never going to get into the 1st team ahead of McCoist and Hateley although Spencer did have a decent career at Chelsea and McSwegan as well with Hearts.
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I played with Sandy for a while, a really good player. I was once on a tour and was speaking to John Greig about him who said to me he was the best talent that he ever saw at Rangers coming through, quite the compliment.

I always thought Bob Malcolm would go on to have a excellent career, I mean he played for Rangers and won trophies so it's the dream basically but I thought he was quite cultured, passed it beautifully, would have really suited a league like Serie A I think.
 
Willie Mac said:
I played with Sandy for a while, a really good player. I was once on a tour and was speaking to John Greig about him who said to me he was the best talent that he ever saw at Rangers coming through, quite the compliment.

I always thought Bob Malcolm would go on to have a excellent career, I mean he played for Rangers and won trophies so it's the dream basically but I thought he was quite cultured, passed it beautifully, would have really suited a league like Serie A I think.
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Good Morning Bob
 
Willie Mac said:
I played with Sandy for a while, a really good player. I was once on a tour and was speaking to John Greig about him who said to me he was the best talent that he ever saw at Rangers coming through, quite the compliment.

I always thought Bob Malcolm would go on to have a excellent career, I mean he played for Rangers and won trophies so it's the dream basically but I thought he was quite cultured, passed it beautifully, would have really suited a league like Serie A I think.
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I liked Bob, but that is some take!
 
bluewonder said:
Sandy Robertson looked the real deal in 90/91 when he rounded Bonner to set up Hateley to score against the filth and he scored that crucial goal at Love street in the title run in.

I think he enjoyed the Glasgow nightlife a bit too much and got involved in a couple of scrapes. I think he was let go and never heard off again.

John Spencer and Gary McSwegan were both decent prospects but were never going to get into the 1st team ahead of McCoist and Hateley although Spencer did have a decent career at Chelsea and McSwegan as well with Hearts.
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Robertson ended up in the jail
 
bluewonder said:
Sandy Robertson looked the real deal in 90/91 when he rounded Bonner to set up Hateley to score against the filth and he scored that crucial goal at Love street in the title run in.

I think he enjoyed the Glasgow nightlife a bit too much and got involved in a couple of scrapes. I think he was let go and never heard off again.

John Spencer and Gary McSwegan were both decent prospects but were never going to get into the 1st team ahead of McCoist and Hateley although Spencer did have a decent career at Chelsea and McSwegan as well with Hearts.
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Memories of Sandy Robertson

A superb talent, and I remember his goal at love street and being really excited about him breaking through. What happened with Sandy and wonder if he is still working in football at some level?
www.followfollow.com www.followfollow.com
 
Slide Away said:
Kyle Hutton
Ross Perry

Suspect Leon King and Lowry will be added to the list soon as well.
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Wasn't King linked with Man City / Bayern Munich etc a couple of years ago when he was breaking through?

If we're being honest these lads would be mental not to go. Ok you might never get a breakthrough there but you'll be on crazy money and it looks better on the CV than wasting away on the Rangers bench before finally leaving to play for Partick Thistle or some such.
 
DerHammer88 said:
Wasn't King linked with Man City / Bayern Munich etc a couple of years ago when he was breaking through?

If we're being honest these lads would be mental not to go. Ok you might never get a breakthrough there but you'll be on crazy money and it looks better on the CV than wasting away on the Rangers bench before finally leaving to play for Partick Thistle or some such.
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King had offers from both Manchester clubs, if I remember correctly. Definitely one of them, then I think the other came to the table the second time.

He’s a Rangers fan, from a good Rangers family who had first started with our soccer academy aged 4 or something and wanted to try make his career here but obviously had very lucrative offers on the table.

The club gave him the best contract from a financial POV we’ve gave an academy player, but still less than he had on offer elsewhere.

I think he made 20 odd appearances last season, which is decent for someone his age but you’re right in that you run the risk of development being halted.
 
Kal Naismith has done quite well for himself since leaving us too, would have thought he would be another that could have played a part through the years when we were signing absolute dross.
 
ForzaLaudrup said:
Anyone is anyone or going to be anyone now goes down south much earlier on.

See Rory Wilson for example. He’s just signed a long term deal at Villa and is impressing.

The days of us producing and keeping a top youth prospect is gone unfortunately
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It was getting mentioned a few months ago that Scottish clubs were considering lowering the age we could offer a pro contract to 14, which might give a little more power to us to keep a player. But you're right, the reality is anyone with talent is getting hoovered up up the English clubs and there's not appetite to stop that happening from governing bodies so we're left with the best of the rest.
 
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