U21 int’l boss Scot Gemmill ‘so impressed’ with Rangers youngster Glenn Middleton
Scot Gemmill has hailed Rangers youngster Glenn Middleton for his “professionalism and mentality”.
The 20-year-old has found himself out in the cold at Ibrox in recent times, and spent the second half of last season on loan with League Two outfit Bradford City.
The winger has failed to play his way into Steven Gerrard’s plans in Glasgow, however, and has not been included in any of his matchday squads so far this term.
But Middleton has still been included in the Scotland U21 setup this international break, and manager Gemmill has been impressed with what he’s seen over the past few days.
As quoted by the Daily Record, he said: “I had a meeting with Glenn on Thursday and I was so impressed with him because he’s having to deal with a lot. But I tell you I spoke to a young man who is more determined than ever, more resilient than ever and more motivated than ever to keep going.
“He’s not where he wants to be right now, but I am very confident he is handling the situation in a mature way. He’s very frustrated, but only because he wants to play football.
“We have got a really good young player who we are all trying to help maximise his potential.
“When you look at players’ attitude and professionalism and mentality, Glenn is a real leading example.”
What next for Middleton?
The youngster needs to be playing football, it’s that simple.
With no senior minutes under his belt this term, and with no obvious indication of how he can ever hope to force his way back into the first team at Ibrox, a move seems like the best solution for him this summer.
Whether that be a loan or a permanent switch would be a matter for Gerrard and his coaching staff to decide, but one way or another, Middleton needs to get himself back onto a pitch before he really begins to stagnate at what should be a crucial juncture in his career.
One thing is for sure though, if Middleton is to go out on loan in the coming weeks, he will need to make more of an impact than he did during his time with Bradford.
The starlet managed just three outings during his time south of the border, and his stats made for pretty grim reading too.
Middleton had a pass completion rate of 67.4%, 15.9% lower than Ryan Kent’s career average, as per Wyscout.
His dribble success rate, shot accuracy, and total action success rate were also notably lower than Kent’s usual output.
That may seem like a fairly harsh comparison to make, but Kent is only three years older than Middleton, and those are the levels he has to be aspiring to if he is to make a success of things at Ibrox.
Wherever he ends up this summer, Middleton has to pick up the pace if he is to have a first team future in Glasgow.
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