It’s hard to stay positive when you can’t kick a ball but I just need to be patient
NEW experiences have come thick and fast for Ross McCrorie in a breakthrough season at Rangers. It’s only the latest one that hasn’t been to his liking.
The frustration of being forced to be a spectator is providing a new test for the 19-year-old. Sidelined by a foot injury for at least the next few weeks, McCrorie is eager to resume his impressive progress as soon as possible. That desire must be countered, however, by the patience needed to ensure the problem is fixed once and for all.
The youngster initially damaged his foot when colliding with an advertising hoarding in the win over Ross County in December. He managed to play on until the winter break, but feared surgery might be needed when the issue didn’t subsequently ease.
A specialist has since informed him that is not the case, but McCrorie’s relief is tempered by his youthful energy being confined to the barracks as Graeme Murty’s side begin to pick up momentum.
‘This is the first time I’ve ever really been injured,’ he said. ‘It’s only been little niggles before and I’ve managed to play through. I’ve never had anything like this before, so it is a new experience.
‘I’ve got Donald McNaughton, the mental skills coach, to help me through it. He tells me to stay positive, but it is difficult to keep positive when you are doing gym work and can’t kick a ball.
‘It’s frustrating. There’s nothing worse than sitting watching everyone out in training when you can’t contribute, especially as I had been playing regularly before that. But I don’t want any further problems, so I know I have to give it the time to heal properly now.
‘They thought the period of rest in the first week off in January would help, but it didn’t work. I got a scan and that showed a few things up. It’s not ideal but, hopefully, it will heal soon.
‘I’ve been told it will be a few weeks, so I’m going with that. It’s a week-by-week thing to see how it progresses — and if it doesn’t, something else will need to be done.’
Granted his first-team debut by Pedro Caixinha against Partick Thistle in September, McCrorie won plaudits for the maturity shown over 18 subsequent appearances. Confident performances at centre-back and as a holding midfielder were duly rewarded with a contract extension until the summer of 2022.
His emergence got him noticed in other ways. The anonymity previously enjoyed when visiting shops or restaurants has been replaced by attention from fans. McCrorie doesn’t complain, seeing the positive views as a decent barometer of his development.
‘I get fans coming up to speak to me — even though there are some things I can’t say,’ he said. ‘That’s part and parcel of football, but it is great getting the recognition because you are doing well. You know if you’re not getting abuse, you’re doing well!
‘The fans have been second to none — they have been brilliant with me. When I made that mistake against Hamilton (costing a goal scored by David Templeton in a 2-0 defeat in November), they could have turned on me but they didn’t. They gave me support.
‘Maybe it’s just because I am a young player. I think it would be the same for any player coming up. I think it was because I didn’t crumble in the game and showed them what I can do.
‘Everyone is going to make a mistake at some point. I learned from that. It won’t be the last one, but hopefully it will be the last major mistake I make.’
While it was Caixinha who first introduced him, McCrorie properly flourished under Murty. Their work together at Under-20 level established a bond of trust.
‘I think the gaffer has brought freshness,’ said McCrorie, with Rangers now ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference in second place in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
‘Maybe some of the players who have come in didn’t know him before, but he has brought his own ideas to the team and we’re benefiting from it so far.
‘He has done a great job and everything seems to be positive, especially on the back of victories against the likes of Aberdeen. Results are going our way right now. The mindset and belief of the players has changed in the last few months. We believe in our ability and what we can do.’
Murty is not the only senior figure to have guided McCrorie. He also appreciates the time that Danny Wilson — once an Ibrox prodigy himself — took to offer advice and encouragement. Speaking before the 26-year-old defender last night sealed a move to MLS side Colorado Rapids, McCrorie said: ‘Danny has been great with me.
‘He has been a big influence on me, especially as he came up from the youth system as well.
‘Since I came in to the team — and especially when I made my first start in an Old Firm game — he came up to me and gave me pointers about what to do in different scenarios.’
ROSS McCRORIE was speaking as the Rangers Youth Development Company (RYDC) presented a cheque for £250,000 to the club’s youth department. Profits from RYDC ventures — which include the Rangers lotto — are directed towards the academy, with more than £7.5million provided over the last 16 years.