Crooks issues a plea to Ibrox gaffer

twiddling your thumbs at a big club like this.

“I’ve had the same disagreement with myself over and over again. I don’t want this club to think I’m giving anything up. But at the same time, I’ve been fully fit for two months and haven’t played.

“I’m almost 23 and I just want to play. You learn a lot just from playing. That was the case last season for me. It’s been hard going from playing in every game to not playing at all.

“It’s a dilemma, whether I should stay and stick it out. But I’ve still got three years left on my contract so it’s not as if time isn’t on my side.”

Crooks has the kind of physical presence you might think the current Rangers side are crying out for. But for one reason or another, it hasn’t happened for him. And you can tell just how much it has irked him.

He said: “It’s not been ideal, that’s putting it mildly. It’s been hard. But I always try to think positively and I’ve had harder times than this.

“I damaged both of my ankles in the past. I had reconstruction on my left one and cartilage work on the right. At Accrington, when I was injured for the first few months it wasn’t great. That didn’t help me.

“We only had a council gym to use and one physio in a shed. So it was different to here. They didn’t realise the impact of my injury until two months in. I don’t want to say too much – but that was challenging.

“I can’t complain now. I’m in a privileged position at Rangers. But it’s still frustrating. Is it easier because I’ve been through a period like this before? It depends what day it is.

“Sometimes it’s really hard and you can’t stop thinking about it. But on the other hand, I know that it’s happened before and bad times don’t last. I can pick it up again.

“I don’t think the Rangers fans really recognise me. In the street, they probably just walk by me not knowing who I am. I haven’t been able to show them what I can do yet.

“Even in the Hearts game, I wasn’t expecting to play. And it didn’t work out for me. That was a chance for me but I didn’t take it. That’s frustrating but it’s up to me to change that.

“The position wasn’t strange for me. I haven’t played that role in our formation before. But in midfield, I’m not just a sitter. I like to drive forward with the ball. That’s not an excuse for the way I played.

“I def initely see myself as a midfielder and not a defender. That’s where I want to play. People say Tynecastle was a tough environment for my first league start. But I should have been able to handle it. I’m strong enough and good enough to cope with situations with that.”

The one saving grace for Crooks is that throughout his torment he’s had Josh Windass to keep up his spirits.

Although now, even his old pal from Accrington has been given the bump, with Crooks’s girlfriend joining him in Glasgow. His focus is solely to try to get in the Rangers team and, if not, play regularly somewhere else for six months.

He said: “It can be difficult mentally to get through it but I had Josh with me. Day to day, he kept me going.

“That made it easier because I’ve known him for a long time. It was good to have him alongside me. But I’ve got my girlfriend and my dog with me now as well, which helps.

“I’ve left Josh behind. I had him for a year and that was enough. His dog stinks as well!”