Steven Gerrard has shown at Rangers that he will give youth a chance, which bodes well for Ibrox starlet Josh McPake.
Steven Gerrard made his name as one of Britain’s most promising coaches at youth team level.
The Anfield legend spent a few months in charge of Liverpool’s U18 side and coaxed some very impressive performances out of the youngsters at his disposal. And, since being offered the keys to the Rangers machine, Gerrard has continued to put his faith in the next generation.
Ovie Ejaria and Ryan Kent have been regulars since following Gerrard from Merseyside to Glasgow while Glenn Middleton, Nikola Katic and Ross McCrorie are highly rated by the 38-year-old.
“I know for a fact Gerrard is interested in what is coming through, what is happening at the Academy, and he’s been taking some of these lads into the first-team training,” Archie Knox, Rangers’ assistant manager between 1991 and 1998, told the Daily Record.
This bodes well for the likes of Josh McPake.
The 17-year-old right-winger has enjoyed a very impressive 2018 so far. He earned a professional contract in April, scored a hat-trick against Celtic’s U17s in May and was named Player of the Tournament in a summer youth competition in France.
And McPake certainly caught the eye of U19 coach Graeme Murty after coming off the bench to score twice in a 4-0 win away at Falkirk at the weekend.
“Josh McPake then came off the bench and scored two and had a massive impact on the game. But I thought all of our younger players did particularly well and they all acquitted themselves well and stood up to the challenge well, and that, for me, was a major, major bonus,” Murty told the club’s official website.
With McPake shining behind the scenes, you can guarantee that Gerrard will be keeping a close eye on his progress.
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