According to a recent report by the Scottish Sun, prodigious Scottish shot-stopper Robby McCrorie has extended his contract with Rangers. He will now be at Ibrox until the end of the 2023 campaign. Despite this motivating piece of news though, the player is reportedly set to be shipped out on loan for another year in the upcoming campaign. The youngster spent the second half of last season on loan at Livingston but is going to be sent away again to gain more first-team experience.
While Rangers are set to send Robby McCrorie on loan again, the Ibrox club’s current goalkeeping situation could tempt Gerrard to decide against it in the weeks to come. Speaking about his contract renewal, the 22-year-old said, “It means a lot and I am buzzing it has been done. I first joined the club when I was turning eight-years-old and I am happy that the journey is continuing. It means everything to me and my family. Every day I come in, being the Rangers goalkeeper is always in the back of my mind and it is why I work as hard as I can to give myself the best opportunity. I’ll never settle – even if I get my debut, I’ll always keep pushing.”
How Has Robby McCrorie Made A Name For Himself At Rangers?
As the player himself mentioned above, the youngster has been a member of the Ibrox youth system since he was eight years old, and the development that he’s displayed is undoubtedly a sign of the Scot’s sheer hard work and determination. His brother – Ross McCrorie, also a Rangers player, is currently out on loan at Portsmouth and was involved in Pompey’s recent League One Playoff fixture. Robby though has had to settle with relatively ‘smaller’ loans than his brother.
The stopper’s first loan move away from the Ibrox lead him to Berwick Rangers, after which he’s gone on to have rather successful stints at Morton, Queen Of The South and Livingston. Now 22, although some Rangers fans have been calling for him to be given time in the first-team next season, it looks like he’ll have to spend at least another season on loan before making that all-important break into the first-team picture. The youngster boasts excellent reactions and reflexes and is sure to have made a place for himself in the back of Gerrard’s mind with his exploits with the youth system.
What Is Rangers’ Current Goalkeeper Situation?
The Gers will be hoping to put an end to Celtic’s title streak next season, but one thing they’ll have to do before building up any hope is to acquire a new goalkeeper. The Ibrox club had a flurry of options to choose from going into the last campaign, but the recent departures of Jak Alnwick and Wes Foderingham at the end of their contract tenures has left a considerable hole.
First-choice Allan McGregor is edging towards the final years of his career, and McCrorie, in due course, could end up being the veteran’s long-term replacement. Also, apart from the 38-year-old, the Gers recently completed the shrewd signing of Scottish international stopper Jon McLaughlin. The former Hearts man has been brought in to try and compete with the veteran on a first-team basis, which means that there wouldn’t be an immediate requirement for another. With Andy Firth available as a third choice as well, Gerrard needn’t be overly concerned at this hour.
Rangers Are Set To Send Robby McCrorie On Loan Again: Will Gerrard Regret This Decision?
Although the youngster’s presence could come as a boost, the fact that Gerrard will still have three names to choose from even without him in the squad will come as a relief to the staff and fans alike. With that said though, there’s no denying that McCrorie is headed for big things in the future.
A goalkeeper is quite possibly the only position in a football team where a rising age isn’t really concerning, and that could be why Gerrard has chosen to allow McCrorie to gain more experience next season. The youngster is likely to have a part to play in the seasons to come, but as for next year though, sending him out on loan probably wouldn’t have the biggest impact on the Gers’ campaign.
