Wallace now in full bloom at Rangers after starting out as blushing violet
BY his own admission, Lee Wallace entered the world of professional football harbouring a painful shyness. The Hearts captain of the day, Steven Pressley, was just one of a clutch of senior pros with whom Wallace was scared to make eye contact as he conducted his sundry duties around the Tynecastle dressing room.
Handed his debut at 17 — a Scottish Cup tie against Kilmarnock in early 2005 — Wallace showcased his bounding talent on the left flank by scoring in the replay but, although he remains grateful to his then manager John Robertson for throwing him in so young, he concedes he was immature and ill-equipped for his heightened profile.
A brush with the courts a year later for brandishing an airgun while out with friends in Edinburgh flashed warning signs of where his life might have been misled.
Fast forward a decade and Wallace is captain of Rangers and a quite impressive orator.
He takes his responsibilities seriously but concedes the journey from bashful to bold was not without its problems.
‘There were scary moments,’ he recalls. ‘I’ve read Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand talk about the differences around how young footballers are perceived these days. I had a tough time.
‘I cleaned the boots of John McGlynn and Christophe Berra and one of my jobs was carrying water bottles into the dressing room. I wanted to make sure I opened the door a certain way, that I walked in quietly, keeping my eyes on the ground.
‘I think that made me grow as a young player. I’m not saying we need to go back to those days but I do remember the scary aura of the first team. Thankfully, not long after that John Robertson handed me my debut.
‘I was then made welcome by the big characters such as Andy Webster, Paul Hartley, Craig Gordon and Robbie Neilson. I had some tough moments but
gradually I learned.’
Wallace served Hearts until the age of 23 when Rangers and their new manager Ally McCoist came calling with an offer of £1.5million that even Vladimir Romanov, normally resistant to the overtures of the Glasgow clubs, could not refuse.
Surrounded by senior pros like Allan McGregor, Steven Davis and Lee McCulloch, not to mention the club’s current assistant manager David Weir, Wallace’s wider responsibilities were limited but his status was elevated after the club went into administration in 2012.
His decision not to take advantage of freedom of contract after liquidation, instead sticking around for the club’s reboot in the bottom tier of the SFL, earned him respect if not hero status among the Rangers support.
At that stage, some were already whispering of Wallace as a future club captain and those hushed tones seemed entirely appropriate when discussing a subdued personality that seemed short of the requirements of a leadership role.
As Rangers progressed through the divisions, Wallace’s presence and influence grew. Weir’s return to the club alongside new boss Mark Warburton in the summer of 2015 heralded a promotion.
‘The gaffer would have taken his time assessing who he would give the captaincy to,’ continues Wallace. ‘I fully appreciated that it was me. Having been here for a few years I had a good idea of what it meant and I had learned a lot from previous captains.
‘I was given great help and advice and I could always lean on Davie Weir. He just epitomises what it is to be a Rangers player.
‘The responsibility is huge and I am asked to speak a lot across the week at training and I enjoy it.
‘There can be difficult times. It was difficult speaking after the last Old Firm game given the emotion I felt.
‘We know there is a huge demand on us to win the games but I enjoy the pressure.
‘It is definitely an intense role but one I am relishing.’
In terms of emerging from his shell, Wallace’s extra-curricular work as a coach with Tynecastle FC has been an immense help.
‘The maturity has come not only from the captaincy of Rangers, but the coaching role as well,’ he explains.
‘I realise the two jobs are light years apart but I’m dealing with a good group of young players who are always asking questions.
‘It’s something I am looking to go into years down the line.’
And now it’s Wallace to whom the younger Rangers players glance in admiration. For that he thanks Warburton, not only for the captaincy but also his improved eloquence.
‘I look back at my first interviews and I was shy and probably naïve,’ he reflects. ‘Over time I’d learn and do my bit in terms of studying how others spoke.
‘I’ve learned an enormous amount from our manager. The football goes without saying, the coaching, but the way he conducts himself as a person, the respect and the way he speaks to people, I’ve learned a lot in basic manners. I would hope that goes a long way with how you are or how you’re seen.’
Ultimately, Wallace knows his legacy as Rangers captain will be written in terms of trophies. Rangers’ Championship success was enjoyable but the 29-year-old admits he craves some major honours. The Betfred Cup has thrown up a semi-final against Celtic at Hampden, a game Wallace views as an opportunity.
‘I have learned from a number of great captains and now I want to be one of them,’ he states.
‘I realise I am one of the least successful in winning what I refer to as ‘Rangers’ silverware, but that just acts as motivation.
‘We realise the importance surrounding the semi, but what a game to go and show a worldwide audience what you can be as an individual. What a game for us, probably more so than them at this point, to go and show that we’re still there and to go and really impose what we perceive to be the best way of playing.’
Maturity comes from coaching role as well as me being captain