Right At Home

[ian1964 10,413]

ALLY McCoist watched Rangers' teenage sensation John Fleck go head to head with Milan's superstars on Wednesday and insists the youngster fits right in next to the best.

 

John FleckThe Gers Assistant boss was impressed with the 17-year-old's contribution but knows the young Scot has a long way to go before he is regularly rubbing shoulders with the best in the game.

 

And he says Fleck is in just the right place to continue the development that has propelled him into Walter Smith's first team plans in recent weeks.

 

He said: "John didn't look out of place in that company but we have to just keep an eye on things and monitor the situation.

 

"It's all very encouraging but we just have to keep trying to help him and teach him and keep encouraging him and hopefully things will keep progressing.

 

"He has a lovely left foot, he takes the ball in very well. Certain elements remind me of different players but not one individual.

 

"I don't see the comparison with Wayne Rooney myself. People will always try to make these kinds of comparisons but I don't see it - he doesn't remind me of any one player in particular."

 

John Fleck, Rangers scores a penalty for RangersFleck was surprisingly omitted from the most recent international squads despite still being eligible at several levels, but McCoist believes that won't prove a problem for a player who opened his scoring account for the club last weekend.

 

He added: "I don't see a problem with him not being in the squads, I don't think it will do him any harm to be honest because I think we're all in agreement that in time he'll be in all sorts of international squads.

 

"The fact that he's not in these ones is certainly no problem to me and I don't think it's a problem for him either."

 

John FleckNothing seems to have fazed the young star since his introduction to first team duties on a regular basis and McCoist believes Fleck will be in the right frame of mind if he is called on to face Forfar on Sunday.

 

He said: "The great thing about John is that he knows what it's all about. That might be a strange thing to say about a 17-year-old lad but what I mean is that he's grown up in the area.

 

"He's a west of Scotland boy, a Rangers supporter. Like, for example, John Brown, Ian Ferguson or Ian Durrant and the thing these lads had in common was that they knew what it meant to play for the club.

 

"Being a local lad means you know the importance of playing any game for Rangers, whether it be against AC Milan or Forfar."

[maineflyer 0]

Isn't it amazing the lift we all get from seeing someone like Fleck coming through. When he stroked home that penalty last week I doubt if there was a single supporter who wasn't genuinely proud of him.

 

He may be the best of them but there have been other good players coming out of Auchenhowie these last few years. If only we had the management and coaches to really push these guys through - I think we've wasted so many youngsters and it's bloody criminal.

 

I've seen statements recently that the Rangers support is too demanding for young players but I just can't accept that at all. If they can do the job then they will be idolised. If they can't then they won't.

[ian1964 10,413]

Going by the talk coming from Ibrox there will be more youths breaking through due to the financial state we are in, so let's wait and see,I for one would be happy to see young players getting a chance instead of wasting good cash on mediocre players,as I'm sure most fans would be.

[craig 5,195]

Going by the talk coming from Ibrox there will be more youths breaking through due to the financial state we are in, so let's wait and see,I for one would be happy to see young players getting a chance instead of wasting good cash on mediocre players,as I'm sure most fans would be.

 

Absolutely. Instead of blowing a few million on someone just because they are playing 1st team football in, say, the Championship - how about the novel idea of bringing in one of the young guys who the coaches have been watching since he was 14 or 15 years old and giving him the chance to see if he can do the same job and save the club money.

 

Maybe, just maybe, the financial state of our club will be a GOOD thing in that it will force the club to search out these quality youngsters and also give them a chance (won't hold my breath mind you).