Bright future lies ahead for Rangers kid Hardie after Dumbarton double

The 18-year-old made his first start for Rangers - and promptly scored two goals in the vital 3-1 win over Dumbarton away.

Stuart McCall knew exactly what Ryan had in his locker. He has watched him in every game he has played in since taking over as manager.

Stuart has not been afraid to give kids a chance and has fielded Robbie Crawford, Andy Murdoch and Tom Walsh since being appointed interim boss.

He has been rewarded for his willingness to gamble on youth and was repaid in full when he put his faith in young Hardie. I have seen a fair bit of the Stranraer lad myself. He is quick and will run all day for the team. As we saw at the Bet Butler Stadium, he can score goals, too.

He has a few rough edges which still need smoothed out. His first touch, for example, could be better.

But to play in a must-win game and help his team come from behind with two quality strikes when the pressure was on says a lot for him and augurs well for the future. He reminded me of another teenager who scored two goals on his debut for Rangers against Cowdenbeath back in 1970!

Ryan and the other colts will give great encouragement to the lads coming through the youth ranks at Murray Park.

They will see that if they do well they will be handed a chance in the first team. I am sure it will spur them on.

That, in turn, will ensure the players in possession of a top-team jersey will maintain their standards. They know if they fail to perform then a youngster will be waiting to take their place.

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here