Although Rangers were unfortunate to only get a draw for their efforts before departing Portugal, Cole McKinnon wouldn’t have been very dissatisfied.
Due to his recent impressive performances, the Gers academy product was selected for the squad to go to Benfica. With any luck, he will be included for the return leg at Ibrox.
Cole McKinnon is showing that money can be saved by moving on from a big earner who has done little. At this time last season, the Rangers had him out on loan.
Rangers’ elevation of Cole McKinnon will save them money.
For a long time, I’ve believed that players entering the academy shouldn’t look up to Barry Ferguson or Allan McGregor.
These players are hall of fame icons, and there’s a good reason why it’s so uncommon for players to develop from the youth system to become regular international players with multimillion-pound contracts.
Like Cole McKinnon did in Portugal, Rangers players that go through Auchenhowie are fulfilling their duties if they can contribute and add to the first team roster.
As Angel di Maria launched a shot that was moving towards the bottom corner, the 21-year-old made a crucial block.
Following the game, McKinnon was obviously ecstatic as she spoke:
“I made a good effort to get up and down the pitch. It demonstrates the manager’s faith in the young boys, and I want to see more of them.
“Although I wasn’t satisfied with some of my touches, I’m glad we were able to draw.
“Although it is heartbreaking to lose in the end, it is a good idea to take the draw back to Ibrox because everyone is aware of what happens on a European night.”
“I’m eager to return home and start training after that. It’s opening my eyes, for sure.
It was much like my debut—I relished every second of it.
“Hopefully more will come, but I know there will be a lot of work ahead, and I am a hard worker,” the speaker said.
Cole McKinnon reminds me a lot of Bob Malcolm, and I’m a Rangers fan.
Though he is aware that he is not a world beater, he knows that Philippe Clement values players who are sincere, pay attention to instructions, and put in a lot of effort.
He needs to be realistic considering how many players are ahead of him in the queue for minutes, but considering what McKinnon can do, do we really need to maintain Kieran Dowell on £16,000 a week, as reported by Salary Sport, to essentially perform the same job?
Rangers need to reduce their wage bill, and paying someone this much money to sit on the sidelines is a waste of cash.
Younger players who can demonstrate their ability will be trusted by Clement, as McKinnon has done.