ALL THAT GLITTERS ISN’T GAULD AS RYAN SEES HIS PROGRESS STALL
AS Sporting Lisbon unveiled their latest kid for fame in July 2014, images of future Ballon d’Or winners Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo decorated the walls of the Portuguese giants’ training campus in Alcochete.
The plan was that Ryan Gauld, a £3million signing from Dundee United, would be next to come off a remarkable conveyor belt that had previously produced or polished the talents of Paulo Futre, Joao Moutinho, Nani, Simao Sabrosa, Ricardo Quaresma, William Carvalho, Carlos Mane and Eric Dier.
So confident were Sporting in the ability of their teenage Scottish recruit that they made a £48million release clause a condition of his whopping six-year contract.
Fast-forward almost two years, however, and the former Tannadice attacker remains stuck in the B team, having made just five first-team appearances.
Even then, the highlight of those cameos — a goalscoring double against Belenenses — was 14 months ago and came amid a League Cup defeat.
Lisbon life remains enjoyable, with regular visits from his parents and girlfriend something to look forward to for a boy living alone in a strange city, but Gauld admits his on-field progress is not what he had dreamed. Frankly, he believes his development as a footballer has stalled.
Keen for experience, he saw his request to go out on loan in January turned down by manager Jorge Jesus, whose arrival from rivals Benfica has left Sporting closer in the hunt for a first title in 14 years but has pushed Gauld further out of the picture.
The midfielder, who turned 20 in December, admits he has little option other than to take Sporting at their word when they say he does remain a player destined for their first team.
‘I think my development has slowed down a little bit,’ said Gauld, who scored eight goals in 38 first-team games in his final season with Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.
‘ It’s nearing the end of my second year in the B team. To be perfectly honest, it’s not what I hoped for.
‘It has slowed down in the last few months and that’s why I was hoping to go out on loan and play first-team games, as that would accelerate my development again.
‘Sporting said no when I asked about the possibility of a loan move. There was a bit of interest, but Sporting said they wanted to keep me and that’s how it went.
‘They still want me around the training ground and they see me as a future first-team player. That is really positive, so I need to trust their word and, hopefully, they will keep their word.
‘There isn’t long until the end of the season, eight weeks roughly. So we will see what’s going to happen next season. I need to get back and do pre-season training and prove that I’m ready for a first-team place.’
Gauld won’t wait around forever to make it in Lisbon, however.
Should he discover during pre-season that he is once again surplus to first-team requirements, he will seek out Jorge Jesus and push for a loan.
But the £3m paid to United means he does not expect to be leaving the Portuguese capital on a permanent basis any time soon.
‘Sporting don’t spend a lot of money on players, so they still see me as an investment,’ he said.
‘So a transfer would be difficult. But hopefully in the summer, if I’m not going to be in the first team, then they would be open to me going out on loan.
‘That would help me to develop more. But I would need to sit down with them and see what they think is best, so I would just go with the flow.’
Gauld was back in his homeland to help Scotland’s Under-21s beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in what was a must-win European qualifier in Paisley on Tuesday.
He was deployed deeper in midfield than normal, sitting just in front of the back four.
It is a position he is comfortable with, having been remodelled in Lisbon this season from the attacking midfielder who lit up Scottish matches with United.
‘This season I’ve been playing as a No 8 in the B team,’ he said.
‘The Sporting Lisbon A team play a 4-4-2 and I wouldn’t say I’m capable of being a striker or one of the two up top. So it was easy for me to change to a No 8.
‘I’ve played there a lot and I suppose that’s good for my career as I can play two positions.
‘I enjoy it. I may not get forward as much or get as many goals, but I’m on the ball more.
‘Instead of putting the finishes touches to a move, I’m starting moves and trying to get us further up the pitch. I’m also learning more about the defensive side of the game, which is helpful.’
While his club career is a source of some frustration, Gauld is hoping after this week’s crucial win over Northern Ireland that Scotland can make the play-offs for the finals in Poland in 2017.
A goal from Swansea’s Oliver McBurnie and a double from Hibs striker Jason Cummings banished the memories of a sluggish first half that saw the visitors lead through Shay McCartan, helped also by the fact that Cummings missed a penalty.
The Scots have not reached an Under-21 European Championship since 1996 and currently sit four points off Iceland, who occupy second place in Group Three.
Gauld believes four wins from four are required from remaining home and away games against Macedonia and trips to Iceland and Ukraine.
‘We deserved the win in the end, but we were disappointing in the first half,’ he said. ‘Ricky Sbragia told us how it was at half-time and we did better after that kick up the backside.
‘We knew we needed to beat Northern Ireland to have a realistic chance of qualifying. But it’s the same going into the last four games. We need wins in every match and hope other teams drop points.’
“I want to stay but loan move could help me”