Ex Rangers duo prove youngsters can flourish as former Ibrox academy director backs SFA proposal

Former Rangers academy director David McCallum thinks lessons should be learned from Ibrox products Josh McPake and Alex Lowry in giving young Scottish players a chance earlier in their career.

McCallum was appointed appointed Scotland Under-17s coach earlier this month and will take charge of the youngsters alongside former Celtic winger Jonny Hayes. The pair will play a key role in the developmental system for the National Team, now managed by Sebastien Pocognoli. The Scottish football governing body are also figuring out ways that clubs can contribute to international success.

Recent proposals from the SFA - which McCallum supports - include every team starting at least two Scotland players eligible for the Under-21s in cup ties (one of which would need to complete the full game). Also, clubs from Scottish League Two right up to the Premiership would be expected to give Scotland-eligible under-21 players an average of 60 minutes per match. Clubs will vote on the proposals over the next two months.

Hearts winger Josh McPake took the scenic route to the top following his release from Rangers in 2023. The Scotsman was left club-less for six months before signing for third tier side Stirling Albion. Two years on, he’s flourishing at Tynecastle and has just been rewarded with his first Scotland call-up. Midfielder Alex Lowry is the same, as he left Ibrox for EFL League One side Wycombe Wanderers - but has now came back to Scotland where he’s flying at Motherwell.

Rangers products prove youngsters should be given a shot

McCallum used the Rangers academy products as examples that young players can flourish if given an early opportunity. He told the Herald: "I've always believed that players could have had those chances. I think you are seeing some players now go a different way. I look at Josh McPake, who had a couple of moments in the Rangers first team but it didn't work out for him and he had to go a different way. He went down to League Two [with Stirling Albion] at one point in Scotland. So it shows you again that at that time it wasn't right for Josh for whatever reason, but he's looked at it and thought, that experience actually helped him, because he's kicked on.

"I still keep in touch with Josh quite often and you look at him and he's exciting, he's lighting up the game. He's that player who is taking people on and creating chances, scoring goals. His work ethic is also at a high level, so he's added a lot to his game.And maybe that experience of going down to League Two has made him think, 'you know what, I don’t want this' and he thought about what he needed to do to get to the point he is now.

"Talent doesn't go away. Talent is still there - it's when the talent becomes realised, and, again, I think the mindset is a massive part of it. What somebody else has decided doesn't work now, if it works for somebody else now at Hearts or Alex Lowry at Motherwell, then it's just kind of right at the right time. It's smelling the moment, and that's the skill set of the coaches and staff to get it right."

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