‘THIS IS BEST PLACE FOR BILLY THE KID’

PEDRO CAIXINHA has held talks with the parents of Billy Gilmour in a quest to persuade the young prospect to stay with Rangers and resist the financial attractions of a move to Chelsea. Ibrox managing director Stewart Robertson confirmed this week that a £350,000 deal has been agreed with the English Premier League leaders if the 15-year-old wonder kid agrees to go. However, emphasising the benefits of staying with Rangers, where he has a greater chance of a first-team breakthrough, Caixinha said he is not ready to let the talented teenager go just yet. ‘Billy is a fantastic guy,’ said Caixinha. ‘We are assessing him and I have already met with the parents. It’s a family decision. ‘Billy is not only going to have a bright future at this club but he’s going to have a bright future in football. He is a bright kid — I call him Billy the kid because of his age — and a clever kid for me is someone who anticipates everything that is going on before all the others. ‘Billy is that sort of player. He understands what is going on and, at only 15, he can compete with boys who are 20 and has even come in to train in the first team. ‘If he is playing with guys four or five years older than him, he makes a difference and that’s really good. ‘I think it’s important for him to be with us. He should stay with us and with his parents to give him more time to grow — and more time to get experience to arrive at the right level of football at, say, 22 or 23. ‘It’s important for him to stay and it’s important for us that he stays.’