Report: One-time Rangers target Craig Sibbald training with Luton Town

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Rangers were linked with Falkirk starlet Craig Sibbald in January, along with Hearts, Aberdeen and Nottingham Forest.

The cynics barely waste an opportunity to lambast the perceived lack of quality in the Scottish game. And news that Falkirk starlet Craig Sibbald, a target for Celtic and Rangers in January according to the Daily Record, could be on his way to League Two does not exactly reflect well on the football on offer above the border.

According to Bedfordshire News, the 22-year-old midfielder is training with Luton Town during their pre-season tour of Slovenia with an eye on landing a contract. Sibbald, who has spent his entire professional career with second division outfit Falkirk, is now a free agent after his deal expired at the end of last season.

Falkirk’s Craig Sibbald

Though it was assumed he could aim slightly higher than a team in the fourth tier in English football, albeit one that only missed out on promotion to League One after losing to Blackpool in the play-off semi-finals.

The former Scotland Under-17 international had been on the radar of Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers in January, not to mention Hearts, Aberdeen and Nottingham Forest, as reported by the Daily Record.

Brave call

However, it appears that instead of joining one of the biggest clubs in Scotland, or Mark Warburton’s Forest, Luton Town could be about to pull off one of the summer’s more impressive transfer coups.

Time will tell if Sibbald has made the right call. Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has shown a willingness to hand young, homegrown players a chance in recent months with the likes of David Bates and Myles Beerman being given opportunities in the first-team.

Furthermore, Caixinha also admitted that he wanted to instill a Scottish spine in his squad, as reported by the Daily Record.

But he is yet to follow through on that with Ryan Jack and Graham Dorrans the only locally born players new to Ibrox this summer. Seven have arrived from abroad.

On the other hand, however, they have reinforced their midfield with Aberdeen captain Ryan Jack and Mexican international Carlos Pena, while Jordan Rossiter and Niko Kranjcar will be like new signings after returning from long-term injuries.

Then again, Sibbald has plenty of potential and the overarching feeling is that Rangers have missed a trick not following through on their initial interest.