FORCE of NATURE

Meticulous McCrorie is destined to be the next midfield master at Ibrox thanks to his incredible attitude, says Durrant

IAN DURRANT suspected he was about to make Ross McCrorie want to instantly forget his 19th birthday as he prepared the pre-match instruction. The raw Rangers kid on loan at Dumbarton was to be thrown into a battle against John McGinn and Dylan McGeouch in a strong Hibs team closing in on a league title at Easter Road.

And, for all assistant boss Durrant’s faith in one of his favourite Rangers academy projects, there were grounds for concern.

‘I knew he could get about the park but we were worried about what he’d be like on the ball,’ recalled Durrant. ‘I made this a proper little teaser for him.

‘We had a few injuries and suspensions and I told him he was going in to play the best midfielder in the country just now.

‘I said you’ll get run over. And I saw his face turning at that point. I said to him just play your game, try to give them a hard time and it won’t be a shame on you if you struggle.

‘But he stood there and said: “They won’t do that to me”. And he was right.

‘We wanted him just to sit but he was out there closing John down, running around, powering by people. We were going off our nut at where he was going on the park. His range

of passing was sublime.

‘But he just went out and played. That was the day Stevie (Aitken) and I looked at each other and knew what Ross was going to be all about in his career. He was outstanding.’

Sixteen months on, it’s Steven Gerrard’s turn to discover what McCrorie might be capable of for his team.

Durrant is convinced that will be in central midfield. As the pivotal player of Gerrard’s new Rangers. Potentially, even, as captain.

The Ibrox legend nurtured McCrorie, previously regarded as a central defender of the future, and his twin brother, goalkeeper Robby, through the ranks.

One of Durrant’s first acts when appointed No 2 at Dumbarton in January of last year was to tell manager Aitken there was a Rangers star of the future worth bringing in.

‘I was surprised he hadn’t featured for the first team but Mark Warburton along with Davie Weir thought it was about experience at that stage,’ Durrant explained.

‘The problem was finding a position where he was going to play. I think Ross was naïve and young, thinking he should go into the Rangers first team at that point.

‘And because the team was struggling Ross would have found it a hard environment. That was a bonus for us and he helped us stay up last season.’

Pedro Caixinha could hold McCrorie back no more when his central defence started to crumble last September, tipping him as a future Scotland and Rangers great.

No pressure, then. None felt. For Durrant had long told McCrorie that a top-class career would come to him not only due to his ability but an application and attitude that stood out a mile at Auchenhowie.

‘In challenging times for the club, Ross has epitomised at the age of 20 what a Rangers player should be,’ stated Durrant.

‘He’s got his new contract, this is the club he wants to play for. That goes a long way. Ross and his brother have had a great upbringing, the family have supported them so well.

‘They brought him up from Dailly in Ayrshire three times a week for night training and weren’t back home until 11.30.

‘They never missed training and now they don’t miss a game.

‘He’s manic. He wants to make it so much.

‘I’ve never seen two young boys work and graft and want to be footballers as much as those two. It’s fabulous and puts others to shame.

‘If I ever want to highlight a blueprint of what I want from a young Rangers player, I put them up. It’s Ross’s character to always ask questions on how he can improve.

‘He likes to scrutinise, analyse everything he’s done in games. After every 20s game, he was head and shoulders above anyone in that department.

‘He wanted to chisel away at the finer points. He’s still the same. Still goes in and does his strengthening work every day and never wants to take shortcuts.’

McCrorie spent too much time grafting away in the shadows this season when ankle damage suffered during the winter break forced him to spend January, February and March out of action.

On his return, defensive deficiencies and injuries forced him to become a centre-half again — a helpless one at that as Celtic stormed to Scottish Cup semi-final success and effectively wrapped up the league with emphatic Old Firm wins.

McCrorie’s ordering off at Hampden amid an afternoon of a Rangers breakdown asked the biggest question yet of the Scotland Under-21 man.

When he answered categorically, new manager Gerrard had just checked in at Ibrox and, from afar, checked out midfielder McCrorie outperforming all his Rangers colleagues.

His second-half display as a

Ross has epitomised, at the age of 20, everything that a Rangers player should be about

He’s the sort of player you can build a team around. He is a leader and would flourish as the captain

substitute against Kilmarnock was the driving force behind a late 1-0 Ibrox win. Then Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes noted it was goalscorer McCrorie who ‘dragged’ Rangers back into the Pittodrie game for a 1-1 draw. That’s some commendation for the youngest member of the squad. As Gerrard and Mark Allen assemble a squad capable of finally hurdling Aberdeen and mounting a challenge to Celtic, Durrant doesn’t hesitate in nominating McCrorie as central to their plans.

‘He’s the sort of player who will only get better and you can build a team around,’ said Durrant (right).

‘Look how much he wants it. You can see the endeavour. Up at Aberdeen, people might have given that ball up. But he wins the header and gets the goal.

‘He prides himself on his appearance, he’s immaculate. Now he will want to be a Rangers captain. He will have a go at it. He’d flourish with it. He has leadership qualities.

‘I made him, at 17, captain of the 20s. I wanted to give him that level of responsibility.

‘At the time, we were getting first-team players down to the 20s to get a run into them for fitness and he was the leader of them.

‘It wouldn’t be a gamble because every time you see him he puts that jersey on beaming with pride.

‘Steven Gerrard was brought up in a great Liverpool team. One that had great energy, passion — you name it.

‘Ross has been brought up a Rangers man. Gerrard will hear about that and you can’t get enough of it.’ Gerrard will also inherit a host of central-midfield players. Ryan Jack, Graham Dorrans and Jordan Rossiter have been unable to star for Rangers because of long-term injuries but would surely compete for a start if fit. McCrorie’s chastening experiences in the Celtic games at the heart of defence suggest that his career there is not for the present. When asked if McCrorie could have a future as a central defender, Durrant explained: ‘I think he can because he’s still a baby in those terms. He’s an athlete. And when you’re athletic you can play most positions.

‘But I feel now Rangers would be better served to have his energy levels used. And he’s improved tenfold on the ball. So, it has to be sitting midfield.

‘It’s not just running forward. I tend to look at how midfielders do with the hard running — back the way. To get the ball back and start things again.

‘He’s athletic like Richard Gough with that good spring. He’s got good use of the ball like myself. Can hit it with both feet.

‘There are a glut of central midfielders at Rangers. But it’s who wants it the most. I don’t know the others as well as I know Ross.

‘But he’s got so much about himself, I will bet my bottom dollar he will be one of the first names on the teamsheet next season.’