High-flying former Rangers star breaks silence on reason for Ibrox departure amid first international call-up

Former Rangers wonder-kid Robbie Ure explained he left Ibrox because he knew he wasn’t ‘good enough’ at the age of 18.

The 22-year old striker signed for Spanish giants Sevilla for £7.5m in the summer, where he is acquiring regular first team minutes. Before that, he enjoyed a successful spell at IK Sirius, scoring 20 goals in as many games for the Swedish top flight side. His performances have recently caught the eye of new Scotland boss Sebastian Pocognoli, who has selected him in his first squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.

Ure joined the Rangers academy as a child and was subsequently given hist first appearance for the senior team under former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst in August 2022, when he played and score in a League Cup victory over Queen of the South. However, at just 18 years of age, he was well aware that breaking into the first team at Ibrox properly would be a tall order.

Why did Robbie Ure leave Rangers?

Speaking to the BBC on Scotland duty, the striker explained why he left Rangers four years ago. He said: “It was a difficult decision. Obviously, all I’d ever known was Rangers. I’d been going into to training every day since I was about eight years old. So it was all I knew, really.

“But it was something I felt I had to do. I wasn’t good enough to play for Rangers at the time - which is normal for many 18-year olds. So it didn’t affect my confidence or anything like that, I just feel like I needed a step before the final step. It was just something I needed to do. Of course, I would’ve loved to have stayed. But I knew how difficult it would be to play, so I just think I needed a change of scenery and a fresh start.”

After featuring for the Light Blues three times, Ure joined Belgian side Anderlecht in 2023, where he continued to impress in the youth ranks. Former Rangers defender and pundit Alan Hutton has been a long-time admirer of the striker and wasn’t surprised to see him get his recent big-money move.

Why should Ure be applauded for his decision to leave Rangers?

Hutton told Boyle Sports: "I think you’ve got to applaud him for taking that step at such a young age to say I’m not going to sit around at Rangers and play second, third, fourth or fifth fiddle. Rangers are always going to buy strikers but he decided he’s good enough, he’s going to step away and believe in my own ability, and he’s proven that to everyone else now.

"Everybody will be talking about him playing in a Scotland shirt and we’ll want to see him doing well for the national team too, so I’m really happy to see him making that move and just how much he believes in himself. We’ve got Scott McTominay in Italy. Why not Robbie Ure out in Spain?"

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