According to a recent report by Football Insider, football pundit and former Aston Villa ace Alan Hutton has conceded that he understands why Rangers midfielder Ross McCrorie might be tempted to find a permanent move away from the Ibrox Stadium this summer. The Scottish midfielder, who spent the current campaign on loan at League 1 side Portsmouth, recently made some comments about his future as well.
Speaking to Portsmouth based newspaper – The News, the Rangers loanee said, “I want to be playing somewhere and not be out on loan, I want to be somewhere settled and playing week in, week out – that’s my aim. We’ll wait and see what happens. I’m still a first-team player at Rangers but since I’ve gone to Pompey it’s been good.”
To these comments, Hutton responded by saying, “I do think he’s done well after going away on loan but whether it’s going to be at Rangers or another team, we’ll have to wait and see. From a footballing point of view, I totally understand he wants to be settled.”
What Attributes Do McCrorie Offer In The Middle Of The Park?
A defensive-midfielder by position, the former Scottish youth international likes to sit in the slot just in front of the two centre-halves. Capable of picking the ball up from the defenders before finding a timely release, the midfielder offers a decent amount of composure as well as collectedness in the midfield area. Although the 22-year-old does make the odd mistake, it’s worth realising that his displays in League 1 this season have been some of the best of his career so far.
The Scot is also a strong forward passer of the ball, as he offers commendable vision as well as range. Standing at over 1.9m tall, McCrorie offers a fairly intimidating physical presence in the core of the side. While there have been no complaints about most of his defensive work this season, it must be conceded that the Rangers man still has a lot of work to do on his attacking play. While the 22-year-old does threaten with his height while attacking set-pieces, adding better finishing to his game could come as a boost.
What Has McCrorie Achieved At Portsmouth This Season?
The 22-year-old moved to Pompey prior to the start of the league campaign, and having made the switch; he went on to have a decent impact in the middle of the park. His 17 League 1 fixtures have yielded a return of just three assists, although it’s not while attacking that the young Scot shines through. The holding-midfielder is capable of playing in the advanced roles as well but is undoubtedly at his best when slotted just in front of the defensive line.
Does McCrorie Have A Future At The Ibrox?
The youngster has played in over 50 first-team fixtures for Rangers but was yet sent out on loan at the start of the season. Although that could be down to a surplus of options in the role at Ibrox, it’s worth realising that Steven Gerrard chose to send him out on loan rather than any of the other options at the club. The midfielder is appreciated a lot more for his qualities at Pompey, and unless he can be guaranteed playing time for the Gers next season, it would be in the player’s best interest for him to be sold in the summer.
