Rangers wonderkids: Three rising stars who can be the next Curtis after Panathinaikos scenes
Findlay Curtis enjoyed his finest night of his budding Rangers career in their 2-0 Champions League win over Panathinaikos on Tuesday night.
Russell Martin started the 18-year-old, who repaid the faith shown in him by opening the scoring with a stunning curling effort from range.
He also drew the foul that saw the Greek outfit reduced to 10 men as Georgios Vagiannidis was shown a second yellow card in the 58th minute.
Curtis was replaced after 75 minutes after a Man of the Match display, and left Gers supporters excited for what the future holds.
Here, Ibrox News looks at three more wonderkids within the Light Blues’ academy that could step up to the first team.
Josh Gentles – Forward
Gentles is one of the most promising talents in the academy and has already earned widespread acclaim for his exploits in the youth ranks.
The 17-year-old spent last season on loan with Alloa Athletic in League One, notching three goals and three assists in 14 matches.
The three-cap Wales Under-18 international was a part of the Gers training camp at St George’s Park, then made his first Ibrox appearance in the 2-2 draw with Club Brugge (6 July).
He was named on the bench for the clash with the Athens side and will hope that he can impress Martin and earn his chance to feature shortly.
There are considerable question marks over the forward line at Ibrox, with the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane attracting interest and that could open the door for Gentles.
Zander Hutton – Right Back
Right-back is another area of concern for the Glasgow outfit.
Max Aarons was signed on a season-long loan from Bournemouth, and there are doubts over James Tavernier’s ability.
That could ease the way for Hutton as he attempts to make it into the senior ranks in Govan.
The 18-year-old is a right-back who likes to get up and down the pitch, but is equally competent in one-on-one duels.
The Scotland Under-17 international has trained with the first team recently and made his Ibrox bow with Gentles in the aforementioned friendly.
Mason Munn – Goalkeeper
Jack Butland and Liam Kelly have failed to convince between the sticks recently, and that could allow Munn to make his way into Martin’s plans.
The 19-year-old made his Gers senior debut in the 5-0 Scottish Cup win against Fraserburgh in January.
In that clash, he looked comfortable with his feet, and his distribution stood out, something which cannot be said for his competition for the starting spot.
The Northern Ireland Under-19 international looks set for a promising future at Auchenhowie and he could find his way into the senior team sooner rather than later.
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