Rangers can find Ianis Hagi 2.0 in Ross McCausland | OneFootball

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has a chance to cement his name in the club’s history as a successful manager before the end of the campaign.

He enjoyed a tremendous spell with the club as a player and is in with a shot at winning three trophies in his debut season in the dugout. The Gers could win the Premiership, Europa League and the Scottish Cup before the end of May, but the 47-year-old will need to get the most out of his squad in order to do so.

Charlie McCann, Alex Lowry and Leon King have all come up through the academy to feature in the cup, but there are some other players in the B team who also have the potential to make an impact at senior level.

Hagi 2.0

One gem in the current academy setup with a bright future is Ross McCausland. Van Bronckhorst may unearth the new Ianis Hagi with the 18-year-old winger if he is able to play his cards right in the coming months and years.

Earlier this season, The Athletic journalist Jordan Campbell compared him to the Romanian, writing: “Tony Weston and Ross McCausland were the two No 10s finding space and receiving on the half turn like Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi.”

Will McCausland make it in the first-team?

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The current first-team magician is out injured for the rest of the campaign but was in fine form in the Premiership prior to his injury blow. He averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.10 across 15 league appearances, creating 1.5 chances per game. This came after he managed seven goals and 11 assists in the top flight in the 2020/21 season.

McCausland also plays on the right-hand side of the attack, just like Hagi, and he has been in fine form in the UEFA Youth League this season, with three goals in five appearances in the competition. He has also scored seven goals in the Lowlands League, although it is unclear how many games he has played to reach that total.

Head of Academy Craig Mulholland previously claimed that the 18-year-old is “dominant” in one-on-one duels and also said: “We believe that Ross still has lots of potential to realise and there is so much more to come from him as he continues his development and learning journey with our excellent staff. He is a massive Rangers fan who is well supported by a strong family unit and we are all excited to see how he matures and develops as a player and as a person in the coming years.”

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These comments suggest that the club have faith in his future and believe that he has the quality to make the step up to the first team. This is backed up by his form at youth level this season, which is illustrated by his statistics and Campbell’s comparison between him and Hagi.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst can unearth his new attacking midfield gem by unleashing McCausland and having a look at what the 18-year-old can do at senior level.