Rangers: Michael Beale advice may influence Philippe Clement selection call v Sparta Prague
Philippe Clement may well reap some words of wisdom from predecessor Michael Beale when naming his Rangers side to face Sparta Prague.
The biggest call the recently appointed Gers manager has to make is at left-back, where three players are absent for the trip to the Czech capital.
Borna Barisic sustained an injury last weekend, while Dujon Sterling is also sidelined and Burak Yilmaz is not eligible to play any part.
In a decision that was strange at the time and seems even stranger now, the Turkish full-back was not named in Rangers’ European squad.
That means Clement will likely have to choose between Ben Davies – a left-sided centre-back by trade – and academy graduate Adam Devine.
Selecting the latter would be a gamble when taking into consideration his lack of experience at senior level – understandable given he is just 20 years old.
But Devine stepped up when starting three successive Scottish Premiership games last December as Barisic rested up post-World Cup duties.
Each of those matches ended in victory, as did the 2-1 Scottish League Cup win over Greenock Morton in August – his only appearance this term.
Devine was linked with a move away from Ibrox in the summer [The Scottish Sun, 11 May], but he decided to stay put and fight for his place.
That may well be down to Beale telling the youngster to stay patient and wait for his chance to arrive, as it did last December and as it may have done now.
“The manager has told me I just need to bide my time,” Devine said during the summer transfer window, as quoted by The Scottish Sun [8 June].
“I think age doesn’t matter. If you are good enough to play then you can play.”
Having seemingly rejected the chance to find regular football elsewhere, possibly on the advice of Beale, Devine is clearly ready to step up.
While he may only be 20, the academy is there for exactly this reason: to bring through new talents ready to fill in during times of need.
And should he get the nod against Sparta, you can rest assured that Devine will give his absolute all for the shirt and make supporters proud.
In other Rangers news, Sparta Prague’s manager has issued some advice to the Gers’ travelling supporters ahead of the match on Thursday (26 October).