- Four Rangers academy prospects could feature against Hibs in final home match.
- Danny Rohl may use dead rubber to assess youth amid summer rebuild plans.
- Aiden McCallion, Zebedee Lawson, Kyle Glasgow and Ashton Scally highlighted as top emerging talents
Rangers’ final home game of the season against Hibernian may be a dead rubber in competitive terms, but it still offers Danny Rohl an opportunity to look toward the future at Ibrox.
With third place already secured following a difficult run post-split, attention is increasingly shifting toward squad evolution, youth integration and long-term planning.
That could open the door for several academy prospects to be involved in the matchday squad against David Gray’s side.
Here are four young players who could be in contention.
Aiden McCallion
Captain of Rangers’ U19 side, 17-year-old midfielder McCallion has been one of the standout figures in the CAS Elite League campaign and is highly regarded internally for his maturity and tactical discipline.
Former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson has already highlighted his potential last season during his interim spell in charge at Ibrox.
“He’s a talent. I had him up every single day, training with us,” he said.
“Physically, he’s not matured yet, but I’ve seen there’s definitely a player for the future.”
McCallion himself has spoken about the tactical alignment between academy and first team under Rohl, particularly the increased tempo and pressing structure/
“They just move the ball faster, more physical and faster,” he said to the Rangers Review.
“I try to play as fast as they play.
“It is a higher standard there, so it is going to help me.”
His understanding of the midfield requirements in Rohl’s system makes him a natural candidate for involvement.
Zebedee Lawson
Signed from Brighton last summer, tricky winger Lawson has already made his first-team debut in the cup against Annan and has impressed at U19 level this season with his direct attacking play.
Reflecting on his debut, he admitted the moment came as a surprise.
“I was in my room when I got called, I just showered, I was just so happy,” said the 17-year-old.
“I went and called my mum, called my dad. They wouldn’t let me off the phone the whole day.”
With confidence growing and first-team exposure already under his belt, Lawson is one of the more advanced attacking prospects in the system.
Kyle Glasgow
Glasgow signed his first professional contract earlier this year after progressing through the academy since the age of four.
The attacking midfielder with international experience at youth level for both Scotland and Portugal, the country of his mother, he is seen as one of the club’s most technically refined young players.
He has already outlined his ambitions clearly in an interview during the Alkass International Cup in Doha held in January.
“I’m doing things I dreamed of when I was a little boy,” he revealed.
“But I’m hungry for more. I want more, I want my debut as soon as I can.”
“I’m just going to keep on working hard.”
Rohl is understood to be an admirer of his intelligence in possession and positional awareness between the lines.
He was tipped for his debut against Annan alongside Lawson, but regulations on under 16’s debuting denied him inclusion.
Now, 16, he could finally make his first-team bow.
Ashton Scally
Like Glasgow, Scally signed his first professional deal this year amid strong external interest, including reported attention from Manchester United and Liverpool.
The full back was close to being involved in earlier senior squads before age restrictions blocked a potential debut in the Scottish Cup.
He was, however, also denied due to still being 15 at the time.
Rohl has already made his admiration of both Scally and Glasgow clear.
“These are high-potential players,” he said.
“We want to keep them, very high-potential players for us for the future.”
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While Rangers’ focus remains on ending a disappointing league campaign on a positive note, the Hibs fixture could provide a glimpse into the next generation emerging at Ibrox.
With Rohl already signalling structural and personnel changes this summer, academy involvement may become a more regular feature of the club’s long-term rebuild.
