Scotland's £5.5million starlet reveals why he 'had to' leave Rangers amid ‘wasn’t good enough’ admission
Scotland striker makes candid admission over Rangers departure as he chases first cap.
Scotland striker Robbie Ure admits that feeling that he “wasn’t good enough” to play for Rangers was a major driver behind his decision to leave the club as a teenager.
Ure, 22, departed Ibrox after a lack of first-team opportunities, moving to Anderlecht in the summer of 2023, before signing for Swedish outfit IK Sirius two years later. He went on to flourish in Scandinavia, scoring 31 goals in 50 games for the club in all competitions.
After catching the attention of several top European sides, he signed for La Liga giants Sevilla for an initial fee of £5.5million last month, and his rapid rise has been rewarded with a first senior call-up to the Scotland national team under new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli.
Hoping to earn his first cap in the Nations League clash with Slovenia on Saturday afternoon, Ure reflected on his decision to move abroad rather than remain on UK shores, and his journey to international recognition.
"Yeah, it was difficult,” Ure told BBC Sport. “All I'd ever known was Rangers. Going in every single day since I was probably eight years old. So that's all I'd ever known. But I felt like it was something I had to do. I felt like I wasn't good enough for Rangers at the time, which is normal for many 18-year-olds. So it was nothing that affected my confidence. I just felt like I needed a step, before the final step or something like that.
"So it was something I felt I had to do. Of course, I would have loved to have stayed. But I felt like I needed to leave. I think I knew myself that I wasn't going to play, which I think I accepted. Because you're at a club like Rangers. It's difficult for many 18-year-olds to play. I needed a change of scenery and a fresh start. Somewhere that I could go to play at a level that would be good enough for me at the time. And Anderlecht provided that for me.
“At a young age it's really important you're playing. I was playing 90 minutes every week [at IK Sirius], getting trust from the manager and from the club. I was given time as well. The day I scored the four goals, it was my first hat-trick. I felt like every time I shot it was going to be a goal. I've not had a feeling like that before in football. It was pretty special."
One of four fresh faces in Pocognoli’s frontline, Ure will battle with Hearts’ James Wilson, Sassuolo’s Kieron Bowie and Oli McBurnie of Hull City for a starting spot as Scotland face games against Slovenia [away and home], Switzerland and North Macedonia over the next three weeks. After losing 3-1 to a Barcelona side that included Lamine Yamal and several other star names in his final game before the international break, Ure feels ready for the challenge which awaits him.
“I really enjoyed it," admitted Ure. "But against these players, you give them one chance and most of the time it's a goal. For me, it was a really good experience. I'm only going to get better as a result of it. The first half, we were good. But as the game goes on, they wear you down. Raphinha at the moment [is on form].”
Scotland face Slovenia in the opening game of their Nations League campaign, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm UK time. The match will be broadcast live on BBC One.
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