Jack happy to be loan Ranger to break through

To be Stevie’s next midfield general after finally healing up

JACK THOMSON admits he would be open to a loan switch away from Rangers as he looks to make his big breakthrough at Ibrox.

The midfielder has impressed for the Under20s once again this term and has been involved with Steven Gerrard’s first team squad.

He has yet to be rewarded with an appearance for the Light Blues, however, and could look to temporarily head for the exit door in the second half of the campaign.

Thomson told SportTimes: “That is definitely something that is a possibility for me in the second half of the season and I will look at maybe going out on loan and playing at a different club to get first team experience.

“I am not too concerned where that is, as long as I am happy and I am progressing, that is what matters the most.

“It can go either way for you, a loan move. You can go and be excited for it and then not play and end up a bit down or you can go and get valuable first team experience. That is obviously what I want to do and hopefully works out if I do go out.

“There are a lot of us that have been here for many years, I have been here since I was five or six years old.

“So to finally be progressing and pushing towards the first team is brilliant and what the staff at the academy have done for me is second to none.” it

Thomson that he is trying to break into an area of the side that is arguably the most competitive, both in terms of numbers and quality, at Ibrox.

Gerrard is not short of options in the middle of the park and Thomson and his Auchenhowie peers will have to bide their time as they bid for a breakthrough.

The Scotland kid will use his central rivals as inspiration, though, and learn from those around him and ahead of him.

Thomson said: “The manager has been brilliant with me, as have all the firstteam staff and players.

“There are a lot of midfielders so it helps that I can learn from them. It helps me a lot getting the tips from them and speaking to them.

“There are a lot of midfielders at the club right now so being a youth player in that position is really difficult because there as not as many chances as there might be in other positions.

“But, you are going to get that at big clubs and that is the way it is at Rangers. If you deserve to play, you will play and that is what I’m working towards.

“I like to take bits from all of them and try and add things to my own game. I don’t focus on one player in particular.

“I just try to do my own thing and take bits from all of them because they are all brilliant players.

“There are lots of different styles and guys like Scott Arfield and Graham Dorrans that have played at a top level.

“I can take lots from guys like Jordan Rossiter as well in terms of the way they conduct themselves off the pitch. I can learn from all of the midfielders but also players in every position on the park.”

■ Rangers Academy midfielder Jack Thomson is pictured promoting a new Rangers Bricks offering – Ibrox Forever – from the Rangers Youth Development Company.

Ibrox Forever is a walkway of personalised engraved granite stones set in the ground around the perimeter of the stadium which are now available in small, large and premium classifications priced from £60.

For decades, Rangers Bricks were placed directly onto walls around Ibrox and now RYDC has introduced the Ibrox Forever range which will be placed on the external walkway of the Broomloan Stand, with further stands to follow.

Since 2002, RYDC profits have been directed to Rangers Football Club’s youth programme and they continue to support the Academy through their ever-growing portfolio of products.

For more details on the Ibrox Forever range visit www.rydc.co.uk, call 0141 427 4914 or visit the RYDC office at Broomloan House.