Good luck Ross McCausland…

Scrolling through Twitter last Friday afternoon, I couldn’t help but have a wry smile when a certain transfer rumour popped up on my news feed.

‘Rangers youngster Ross McCausland wanted by Doncaster Rovers and other English clubs’.

The irony! We’ve been here before! 

One of the proudest moments of Ross McCausland's life as he signed his contract extension.
(Photo: Rangers FC).

For context, Ross McCausland is a player I’ve admired for well over a year now, ever since the first time I watched him play. He was discussed last summer at Doncaster Rovers when Gary McSheffrey was manager and there are other tentative DRFC connections who he’ll be able to sound-out before potentially signing on loan.

He knows James Maxwell from when they were together at Rangers plus Ethan Galbraith is an international team-mate of his and they even get their tattoos done by the same guy in Belfast (some free advertising for Willy G here which I'm sure he'll appreciate).

Then there’s the more obvious ‘Northern Ireland’ connection with Grant McCann.

Plus, Rovers memorably had another ‘Ross’ on loan from Rangers back in 2006 - a certain Ross McCormack who once scored a free-kick equaliser for Donny away at Hartlepool on 25th February!

Coincidentally, it was February 25th last year - the day after Russia invaded Ukraine, that I first saw Ross McCausland 'live' with my own eyes. It was a baltic night at Alloa’s Recreation Park; Rangers B Team were playing Broomhill in the Lowland League, there were heaps of snow around the pitch and it was fortunate the game was even on.

Sitting high up in the Main Stand, I had the perfect view and was seriously impressed by this blonde-haired kid in a No.11 shirt wearing white boots; long-sleeved shirt pulled down to cover his hands and keep warm too. He looked quite sharp, lively, purposeful, demonstrated a brilliant turn of pace, clearly had technique to go with his quality, and very much intrigued by what I’d seen in the first 45 minutes, I went over to the opposite side of the ground for the second half (braving a bunch of kids who wouldn't stop screaming) to watch him ‘up close’ some more.

Ross McCausland was that blonde-haired kid and although he didn’t get on the score-sheet he continued to be one of the best players on the pitch - making a number of entries into the box in the second half, remaining a dangerous threat whenever he had the ball at his feet, getting to the byline in various instances and either cutting it back or bringing it onto his left-foot and lashing in a shot on goal. He was direct in style and just glided past opponents with ease; there was a nonchalance in how he did it and on top of that when he had to get back to receive the ball or help out, he did that well. His contributions in the game were all really good.

When you watch as many games as I do (over 250 in the past two seasons alone) and see what's out there, you're able to compare players against others. I'll always back my own judgments because he is good and on the nice, warm train back to Edinburgh afterwards (no screaming kids to destroy my ear drums either) I was Googling him for the entire journey to find out more about him.

Watching Ross McCausland (on the halfway line, near touchline) on that cold night at Alloa!

Ever since that game I’ve followed his career, seeing him again quite a few times, and just three weeks after my introduction to him came a moment he'll never forget.

Wearing his Nike Mercurial Vapor 14s on the pitch at Ibrox, he did exactly what I’d seen at Alloa and this time got a goal to his name; pouncing on a defensive mistake and showing composure to smash the ball into net after only 15 seconds in the B Team Old Firm derby. Not bad timing and not bad with it being against Celtic either!

After that, there was the Glasgow Cup win against Queen’s Park at Broadwood closely followed by the crowning moment at the end of a great 2021/22 season when he came on as a substitute and made his first team debut against Hearts at Tynecastle.

Being on the pitch afterwards, walking up to the 4,000 or so Rangers fans behind the goal with Steven Davis in the 'McCausland 54' shirt he'll forever cherish, and trying to spot Ella (his long-term girlfriend) who was ‘gushing with pride’ according to the Scottish newspapers, is something that will stay with them both for the rest of their lives. It's what he’d strived for his whole life up to that point - to play for his boyhood club and he thoroughly deserved that first appearance.

After 18 goals in 2021/22 plus probably a similar return with assists (stats which prove his end product), a trial at De Graafschap followed last summer and, watching his first game on YouTube on a Friday afternoon this time last year - waiting initially what felt like forever to see him get on, it took him only two minutes to do his thing; getting the ball, driving, gliding past a few players and then providing the lethal end product with a powerful finish.

Cue a wry smile because I knew it was just Ross McCausland being Ross McCausland and doing precisely what I know he’s more than capable of doing! What a lad!

I don't know the reasons why De Graafschap chose not to sign him and that’s where the Doncaster Rovers interest peaked last summer (ask James Maxwell about that).  Ultimately, it came to nothing - thus a second year with the B Team is where he spent last season. 

With the fact he's not a teenager anymore (his 20th birthday was last May) then I think pretty much fully aware that this is a massive season coming up for him and the right time to get out on loan to the highest standard possible, show people what he can do and make some memories.

Ross during his trial game at De Graafschap last summer.
(Photo: Getty Images).

I can always tell a good character and with Ross, the one thing that stands out the most is that he absolutely loves his family to bits. They’re more important than anything else in the world to him and his motivation to succeed in life is to repay all the sacrifices they made to give him the best possible chance of having his football career.

He's got the ‘best mum in the world’ (his own words) and even though she’s probably cried her heart out dozens of times since her wee boy moved to Glasgow full-time in June four years ago, she can be immensely proud of the man he’s becoming!

From his long-term relationship with Ella, the happiness he gives his young siblings and the way their faces light up whenever he returns home to Northern Ireland, to how he conducts himself in public; respectful, polite, determined, dedicated and giving back to the community - whether it was when he was out delivering food parcels during the early stages of the pandemic, raising money for the NHS with a 12-hour gaming stint that he streamed live one time, or just presenting awards at Parkhall (his old school), it’s testament to who he is and he’s a credit to everyone.

If it’s not his jokes and sharp banter, his dancing (which I’m reliably informed is terrible) or the many Tik-Tok videos with Ella, he doesn’t half help to put a smile on people’s faces.

Ross on his Rangers debut at Tynecastle - and a shirt he'll keep forever!
(Photo: Unknown).

There are lots more moments he’s experienced on and off the pitch that will also bring memories flooding back whether it be kicking a ball around with Jordan in Julie's garden as a wee boy, the Steeple Defenders, Liverpool, scoring braces for Ballymena United's Under 11s and Under 12s on the same day (some achievement but some lad is Ross), everything which led up to the initial Rangers trial in 2016, the half-time parade at Ibrox after winning the Alkass Cup, the braces on his teeth and slits in his eyebrows at one point (definitely part of the growing up phase), playing against Robbie Savage's son for County Antrim against Man United, Linfield and everything achieved there, scoring a hat-trick for Northern Ireland's schoolboys against Australia (star pupil is Ross), the surreal feeling of signing his academy forms whilst being stood in his suit and brown shoes next to Steven Gerrard who had his arm around his shoulder on the touchline at Ibrox, getting his roses and lions tattoo off Willy G, the Lowland League away trips to weird and wonderful places such as Civil Service Strollers and wearing that 'Carrick Packaging' sponsored shirt every week, living with Lewis MacKinnon for a few years, the banter and laughs in the dressing room, those UEFA Youth League games and that performance against Hammarby which got him into the ‘Best XI’ at the end of a week where he also signed his three-year contract extension, those famous European nights at Ibrox he saw with his own eyes from the Main Stand Upper (the draping roof hopefully not obscuring the view too much), sightseeing in Seville on an e-scooter before the Europa League Final, the De Graafschap experience, dressing up as Santa at training last Christmas, his contributions to the family Spotify playlist (not sure on his Katy Perry choice though), all his other international caps at various age-groups and the many trips away with Northern Ireland, plus finding the narrowest of gaps in the recent football skittles challenge on Rangers TV.

All things which are just part of his unique journey up to this point in his career.

He’ll remember fondly his many goals; the double against Ajax last year, his first ever one against Celtic in a 5-0 hammering at Broadwood where he fulfilled that particular ambition of scoring against the enemy, one against Greenock Morton for the Under 18s on the opening day of the season, that goal after 15 seconds in the Old Firm B Team game, plus all the multiple others.

And a goal which will always mean so much to him is his one against Partick Thistle in December 2021 - dedicated to his Granda Les who passed away that month and was such an important person in everyone’s life who played a pivotal role in helping him get to where he is today and shaping the person he is! The smile afterwards spoke a thousand words and my biggest hope for Ross during his career is that when he achieves the pinnacle moments and reaches certain landmarks, he feels the presence of his Granda looking down from the skies, beaming with pride and knows that he’d be exceptionally proud and chuffed to see his wee grandson doing so well and doing what he's always loved doing the most.

Celebrating his goal against Partick Thistle which meant so much to him.
(Photo: Unknown).

He’s a fantastic player with so much talent so whatever happens in the next few weeks - whether it be a loan to Doncaster Rovers, League One, Scotland or somewhere else (who knows what will happen - anything can happen in football), I wish him all the luck in the world, hope he has a brilliant season, and can get one step closer to fulfilling all of his dreams.

And rest assured, after the customary pre-match good luck message from his mum which always happens when he’s involved in a game, I'll raise a wry smile when he glides past a few players and scores another goal - because that's just Ross McCausland being Ross McCausland.

So good luck, Ross, go and enjoy yourself - as long as you’re happy then that’s what matters most and I’ll pop along to watch you at some stage at whatever club you decide is the best for yourself in the next step of your career.