Rangers academy standard-bearer can act as source of inspiration for next wave of Ibrox talent

The former Ibrox midfielder came through the club’s academy before making his first-team breakthrough and now finds himself on the other side of the equation, helping prepare the next generation for the unique demands of playing for Rangers.

Findlay Curtis is providing the benchmark for what young players must possess to make the journey from youth prospect to established first-team player. The 20-year-old has endured difficult moments but responded by forcing his way into the Rangers team and earning international recognition with Scotland.

McLeod, now working as the club’s Under-14s coach, views Curtis as someone setting the standard for others coming through and believes resilience is every bit as important as ability.

“I’ve never worked with Findlay on a personal level, but I think he’s one of the players that you're probably looking at that's got that mindset and that drive, regardless of what happens, to just keep turning up and keep going,” McLeod said. “He's got his rewards by being in the Scotland squads, and going away with the national team. So all credit to him and hopefully that continues.”

High hopes for 16-year-old Kyle Glasgow

That mentality is something McLeod believes Rangers must nurture from an early age, with players facing a level of expectation that can be difficult to replicate elsewhere.

“Being in Glasgow, it's a fishbowl at times,” he stated. “There's a lot of added pressure that comes with it that you might not get at other clubs. The expectation from the fans... that also adds to the technical aspect that you need to be able to play for Rangers. So it's a huge part, and something that we're trying to instil in the kids as early as possible.”

Not every youngster will be ready to make that leap immediately, however, and McLeod believes loan spells remain an important part of the process. He hopes academy graduates Calum Adamson and Paul Nsio, in particular, can benefit from their current first-team exposure with Raith Rovers and St Mirren respectively.

One top talent who has already taken that route is Kyle Glasgow. McLeod has played a key role in his development and hopes the attacking midfielder will become part of Derek McInnes’ first-team plans in the near future, having already being included in matchday squads.

“Kyle was in my under-14s team when I first came in as a coach,” he commented. “He is a good prospect. We've seen him going out on loan at 16 [to Alloa] and that's only going to benefit him. In two or three years he's going to have 50-odd first-team games under his belt and that's huge.”

But McLeod is conscious that progress cannot be rushed. Young players must be protected from excessive pressure while being made fully aware of what awaits them at Ibrox - a lesson he learned himself from senior figures including Ian Durrant, Lee McCulloch and Kenny Miller.

“You've got to keep them grounded, first and foremost. I think you can almost give them too much too soon. You have to put them on the right path and let them know the expectations at first-team level. You don't necessarily understand that coming through. You need actual exposure to see the magnitude of playing for a club like Rangers and what comes with it.”

*The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly