Rangers youngster Dapo Mebude and Josh McPake were in the squad at Ibrox on Sunday.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has told Rangers TV that both Josh McPake and Dapo Mebude are ‘close’ to making their first-team debuts.
The Gers beat Aberdeen 2-0 at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon, with James Tavernier scoring two penalties following a couple of fouls on Nikola Katic.
Rangers have now secured second place in the Scottish Premiership, and will be preparing for the Europa League qualifiers this summer and the transfer window.
One of the lesser-told stories from Sunday’s game was that youngsters McPake and Mebude were included in the matchday squad.
They didn’t make the bench, but the teenage duo were in and around the matchday squad, taking them one step closer to first-team debuts.
Internationals Eros Grezda and Kyle Lafferty were completely left out, whereas McPake and Mebude were rewarded for their academy displays with spots in the squad.
McPake’s inclusion came on the day that the Daily Record claimed Liverpool are keen to sign winger McPake, with Rangers desperate to keep him at Ibrox.
Now, Gerrard has admitted that McPake is close to the first team, as is Mebude, and he won’t hesitate to put the duo – or any other academy players – in the first team if they’re good enough.
“They’ve been around it a couple of times before, but I think today, they were around it for real,” said Gerrard. “I think they’re close, they’re giving me something to think about, they’re on my mind – so are a few others in the academy. I believe in the academy; if there’s an opportunity, the boys have to be on their toes, because I won’t be reluctant to put someone out there,” he added.
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