By Peter Lynch

18th Oct, 2023 | 10:10am

Alex Lowry sends Rangers manager Philippe Clement timely reminder after what he did for Scotland Under-21s

Philippe Clement has a very lengthy to-do list at Ibrox after being appointed the new manager of Rangers following the departure of Michael Beale.

Getting to know all of his players will be right up there among his list of priorities, and while they may not be at the forefront of his thoughts, that also includes those out on loan.

One such player is youngster Alex Lowry, who is currently out on a season-long loan at Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts.

The midfielder has certainly impressed in his brief Gers career so far, but former manager Beale thought it was best that the 20-year-old developed himself elsewhere on a temporary basis.

It was an understandable decision, particularly given that nine new faces had arrived at Ibrox in the summer transfer window.

Now Lowry has a new manager to impress, and he has started off in the perfect way after scoring for Scotland Under-21s against Malta on Tuesday (17 October).

His goal arrived just hours after the new Rangers manager spoke of the importance of having a bridge between the first team and the academy [Sky Sports, 17 October], with Lowry just one of the talents to have emerged from the club’s academy in recent years.

Both the player and the manager will therefore be pleased with Lowry’s feats on the international stage, with the midfielder undoubtedly keen to be performing for the Scotland senior team in the very near future.

Given the current trajectory of Steve Clarke’s men, that will be very difficult, but more likely is a return to Ibrox next summer and a place in Clement’s new-look squad.

In other Rangers news, a BBC Sport journalist has shared a “big” problem that Clement must “tackle” to succeed at Ibrox.