James:I’m hereto impress
Rangers kid James Maxwell has pledged to play his way into the Ibrox reckoning - by starring on loan at Ayr United.
The 19-year-old has returned to Somerset Park, where he spent four years as a youth, on a season-long deal.
And the highly rated left back wants to catch the eye of boss Steven Gerrard in his bid to challenge Borna Barisic back in Govan.
He told the Post: “I’m desperate to come here and show what I can do.
“I’ve been in and around the first team at Rangers during the summer but the aim for me at this stage is to be playing games.
“It’s not an easy job pushing a Croatian international – I’ve seen easier jobs in football – but obviously the main target is to challenge Borna long term.
“Hopefully I can come here and catch the eye.”
Maxwell, who grew up in Ayr and attended Alloway Primary and Belmont Academy, moved to Falkirk as a teenager when his family upped sticks.
He said: “It was just the way things happened with my dad’s job that I had to leave.
“But he’s a big Ayr fan and has been desperate for this deal to happen.
“I looked at the manager’s record when he was at Livingston and Morton.
“I felt he left both of them in good positions and he improves players.
“So that was a big part in my decision in coming here.”
He added: “Stephen Kelly was obviously here and spoke really highly of the club.
“He said it was a great place and the fans were brilliant.
“I also spoke to Josh McPake, who worked under the gaffer when he was at Morton, and he spoke really highly of him.
“Everybody knows that you need to work hard if you want to play for him.”
Now Maxwell will go straight in at the deep end as he bids to help his boyhood club to a victory over their bitter rivals in the Ayrshire derby this Monday night.
He said: “I’ve been to Rugby Park a couple of times as a supporter so I know what the rivalry means.”