Rangers V Blackburn 10 Years On

elfideldo

Well-Known Member
Ten years ago this week a Rangers youth side took on Blackburn Rovers. I don't always get the opposition lineup but on this occasion I did. Thought I look back to see where the players from both sides are today.

 
It just goes to show that you need to be extra special to make a very good career from football.

I actually only recognised our players, Cole, Heggerty, Crawford. I wouldnt even know any of the Blackburn Players.

Many of these players are 30 ish now.

Nice article.
 
What was the story behind cole not showing for the friendly? Did he have mr billy big time attitude by then thinking he was too good for a game against cambuslang?
 
Plenty names there to remember. Thought Cole was going to make it first time I saw him.

I wonder what it is that prevents the jump to 1st team regular?
 
I've saw the 2 Blackburn players that played for Stanley but that's it from their team
 
Jeeez, shows how hard it is to make it in football.
Sadly not one of these guys made it worthwhile for us bringing them through.
 
Thanks for that OP, really good read. As has been said it shows just how tough it is to make a career in the game. Also stunned by Robbie Crawford playing 50 times for us. Never seemed anywhere close to that. Another name was Rhys McCabe. Remember high hopes for him before he jumped to Wednesday.
 
Plenty names there to remember. Thought Cole was going to make it first time I saw him.

I wonder what it is that prevents the jump to 1st team regular?

At youth team level a decent prospect is competing with kids drawn from maybe a 3 year talent pool, largely within their own country. At senior level it's a twenty year talent pool from all over the world. The standard is just much higher and the pool.of players far, far deeper.

Football is played to a serious organised level in half the countries in the world. You need to be among the best 0.1% of every person who ever kicked a football to make it as a pro even at SPFL level, never mind at a club like Rangers that spends millions recruiting internationally.
 
Not many of them go on to have what we would consider great careers , despite that there still in the top 0.1% of guys . Kal Naismith maybe doing the best and the guy who played for Kaiserslautern, Ingolstadt then Karlsruhe
 
Plenty names there to remember. Thought Cole was going to make it first time I saw him.

I wonder what it is that prevents the jump to 1st team regular?

Lack of regular first team game time hinders players severely. You only know if they’ll be good enough if they’re played, if they’re kept around for years getting 15 mins here and there until they’re 20 odd it’s already too late and you’ll never know what they could of done.

Clubs on the continent usually have their best prospects playing as soon as they’re old enough, the idea here that we give youngsters a few mins here and there and that they need time to settle in and then pretend we’re developing them is prehistoric.
 
Great read, could they get anymore sponsors on this top though, hope we never end up like this lol

kamil.jpg
 
At youth team level a decent prospect is competing with kids drawn from maybe a 3 year talent pool, largely within their own country. At senior level it's a twenty year talent pool from all over the world. The standard is just much higher and the pool.of players far, far deeper.

Football is played to a serious organised level in half the countries in the world. You need to be among the best 0.1% of every person who ever kicked a football to make it as a pro even at SPFL level, never mind at a club like Rangers that spends millions recruiting internationally.

Lack of regular first team game time hinders players severely. You only know if they’ll be good enough if they’re played, if they’re kept around for years getting 15 mins here and there until they’re 20 odd it’s already too late and you’ll never know what they could of done.

Clubs on the continent usually have their best prospects playing as soon as they’re old enough, the idea here that we give youngsters a few mins here and there and that they need time to settle in and then pretend we’re developing them is prehistoric.

Begs the question is there really any point in Rangers having a youth program unless we bring them on so far and loan them out to get first team football.

The pisser is that any top talent will be spotted and lured to the English set up.
 
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