HARD WORK CAN NOW BEAR FRUIT
Gallacher eager to celebrate real success at Hearts after his apprenticeship at Ibrox
SCOTT GALLACHER was a regular attendee of Rangers party days as title and trophy celebrations took place, strolling around the Ibrox pitch in his club suit. Many mistaken supporters may have believed him to be a member of the security staff chaperoning the laps of honour for, so infrequent was his involvement in meaningful action and so far down the ranks was he made to feel during the best part of a decade on the books, Gallacher was not instantly recognisable as the club’s promising goalkeeping prospect on these afternoons.
While frustratingly going unconsidered for promotion at key stages of a budding career, a young player can easily trick himself into sucking every moment of glory out of the status of major club employment.
That was, in Gallacher’s case, until perspective and patience reached breaking point this summer and Steve Simonsen signed another oneyear deal to back up Cammy Bell.
Cutting the cord after such a lengthy attachment has released Gallacher to dream of a real sense of achievement.
Hearts marked their intention to compete for the Championship with a 2-1 win at Ibrox last weekend and will now seek to gain an early march on Hibernian today, with Gallacher desperate to make a derby-day start. He hopes to pass a morning fitness test on his ankle to stand in for Neil Alexander and cement his place in Robbie Neilson’s team
All of which, the Belshill man hopes, will lead to title revelry of which he genuinely feels a part come May.
‘It’s an awkward feeling,’ said Gallacher of his Rangers squad celebrations both in the top flight and lower leagues.
‘You are celebrating but thinking: “I’ve not really done anything”.
‘Playing a real part is a feeling I want to have. You work so hard in training that you want rewards.’
Those training stints have taken place in the shadow of a couple of goalkeeping greats at Murray Park. Stefan Klos, when wages were from a different era and another Scottish football world, was the first a teenage Gallacher encountered.
Allan McGregor then fought off the challenge of Paul le Guen’s stubborn backing for Lionel Letizi to dominate in the No 1 jersey.
Alexander rose from able deputy to become automatic pick and Gallacher could hardly complain when the impressive Kilmarnock custodian Bell signed.
However, spending money on veteran Simonsen for a role on the bench last summer and packing Gallacher off to Airdieonians after he had enjoyed some rare top-team exposure in the first month of the season had a deflating effect.
‘That was hard on me,’ admitted Gallacher. ‘I know that was completely the manager’s decision and they won the league — fair enough.
‘But I felt I had done well in the games around that time.
‘Then this summer, I really just needed to play. Everything felt right and I had to do it. I was there 10 years and got on well with everyone.
‘It’s not just the players, who are a great bunch, but the physios, folk like that behind the scenes who’ve been there since I was 16. That made ih it hard d to l leave. I’ll ll probably b bl look lk back on Rangers as being my apprenticeship and it was great to be at a massive club. But I look at Hearts now and I’m really looking forward to the future.’
After waiting so long, the big break for him was the one suffered by friend Alexander’s cheekbone last Sunday. Gallacher was finally in the Ibrox big time but in Hearts colours as Neilson’s side bounced back immediately from the concession of an injury-time Nicky Law goal to score a dramatic winner through Osman Sow.
A As Al Alexander d h heals lf for a month, Gallacher is determined to fend off the challenge of new signing Lee Hollis and take full advantage of his opportunity.
‘Unfortunately it’s not nice the way it’s come about because Neil is a good friend of mine,’ he said. ‘But I see this as a good chance for me. It’s a massive game now against Hibs, the biggest of my career.
‘Derbies are different, great games. These are the ones you want to play in and matches everyone remembers. I have to treat this like any other, though, and be professional.’
To go with his handful of Rangers first-team appearances in League One, Gallacher has stints at Cowdenbeath, Forfar Athletic and Airdrie on his CV. So Edinburgh derby day represents a step up, even if the fixture has the downgraded platform of the second tier.
Gallacher is confident his years in reserve have not served to stunt his development at the age of 25.
‘McGregor had to wait until he was my age until he got a sniff,’ he continued. ‘He went on loan a couple of times, came back to Rangers. Now look at him in the English Premier League and Scotland’s No 1.
‘You need to learn your apprenticeship, get the technical side of it right and go and play games when you are maybe about 20, 21 which I did on loan a few times.
‘And being a goalkeeper, touch wood injury-wise, you like to think you can add it on at the other end and play until you are 40.
‘A few people have said to me that they didn’t think I was 25. It’s as if I’m a young boy. But it can be hard as a goalkeeper. There are only a certain number of clubs and only one keeper can play. You may need luck to get your chance.
‘I think I’ve improved, though, because when you’re at a big club you train with great players and you get to know their traits and know what good strikers are going to do.’
Among the many comings and goings he witnessed at Rangers was the arrival — and premature departure — of Danny Wilson.
He is now 22 and Gallacher’s captain at Hearts, leading a stylish, youthful team that the goalkeeper is seriously impressed by.
Gallacher only expects Hearts to build on that opening-day victory over his former club, where Ally McCoist has preferred to bank on experience to bring Rangers back to the big time.
‘I feel we’ve great potential here. We’ve a young manager with great ideas for going forward,’ he said.
‘He’s giving the young players a chance and, if we do well, then the world’s our oyster.’