The Ibrox outfit have brought through some quality players in recent years.
Rangers’ Chris Burke
There is a – perhaps fairly understandable – view from south of the border that the Scottish Premiership isn’t really up to scratch, and it’s essentially a one team league until Rangers get their act together again.
Down the years though, Rangers have produced several players from their academy who’ve gone on to ply their trade in England, and have been major successes. Here are five of them, and if the club could unearth five more like these, they’d be back challenging in no time.
Chris Burke
The tricky winger made the step-up to the first team in 2002, and remained with Rangers for seven years, making 96 league appearances and scoring 11 goals. Burke won the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish League Cup in that time., but in 2009, he departed for Cardiff City. The Scotland international became a key part of a side that reached the Championship play-offs in consecutive seasons, before joining Birmingham City in 2011. Again, Burke became a key figure, before signing for Nottingham Forest in 2014. Burke returned home last summer with Ross County, but left England as a very good winger with an excellent cross.
Scotland’s Allan McGregor
Allan McGregor
The 35-year-old Scotland international goalkeeper started his career with Rangers in 1998, joining the first team in 2001. 205 league appearances, three Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cup victories and five Scottish League Cup wins later, and McGregor left Ibrox for Besiktas in 2012, but was then signed by Hull City in 2013. At Hull, McGregor played in an FA Cup final and has made 96 appearances – 52 in the Premier League – but is currently on loan at Cardiff City, which seems to be a popular destination for Rangers graduates.
Ross McCormack
One that Rangers were too hasty with, as McCormack was released in 2006 having graduated in 2003, but made just 11 league appearances for the Ibrox side, scoring twice. Since then, McCormack has become one of the best strikers in the Championship, following highly successful spells with Cardiff City, Leeds United and Fulham. His form prompted Aston Villa to spend £12m on his services last summer, as reports BBC Sport – £1m more than what Fulham paid Leeds, as per BBC Sport – and while his career has yet to take off there, Scotland international McCormack has scored 120 goals in 334 Championship appearances.
Hutton Rangers
Alan Hutton
Seen as a bit of a joke figure at times, the 50 time Scotland international made his Rangers debut in 2002, and would go on to make 94 league appearances, scoring twice. His form at Ibrox, which saw him win the Scottish Premier League once, caught the attention of Tottenham Hotspur, who signed him in 2008. Hutton won the League Cup with Spurs, before leaving for Aston Villa, where he currently resides. The 32-year-old has also had loan spells with Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and Bolton Wanderers, and has made 151 appearances in the Premier League.
Charlie Adam
Almost a cheat option as Rangers pinched the young midfielder from Dundee in 2003, before fast-tracking him into the side a year later. Adam made 61 league appearances for Rangers, scoring 13 goals for the club, before leaving for Blackpool in 2009. At Blackpool, Adam shone and pretty much single-handedly got the club into the Premier League in 2010, before signing for Liverpool in 2011. Adam won the League Cup on Merseyside before leaving for Stoke City in 2012, where he remains now. To date, Adam has played 195 games in the Premier League, scoring 33 goals.
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