THE move is one that few players would consider and even fewer would actually complete. For Aidan McAdams, it was one that he just had to make, though.

The keeper crossed the Old Firm divide when he made the switch from Celtic to Rangers last summer and put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal. He has never looked back.

Having become frustrated by a lack of opportunities in green and white, McAdams is now forging a career and a reputation in Light Blue as he looks to make a name for himself at Ibrox.

Only time will tell if he made the right call, if Rangers’ gamble paid off and if Celtic’s decisions cost them. The answers will be conclusive if he has his way, though.

McAdams wasted little time in establishing himself between the sticks last term and he is confident he is now in the right place to progress as a player.

“It was an easy transition to make and everyone at the club was very accepting of me and made me feel really welcome,” McAdams told SportTimes. “Craig [Mulholland] had watched me at Celtic and I eventually made the move.

“I have settled in really well and I have some top mates at the club. Everyone helped me settle in really well and I can’t thank them enough.

“It was a case of me not getting the chances that I felt I deserved and I was working hard day in day out over there and I just felt I wasn’t getting any chances.

“When I moved over, last season I played the majority of the games and made more than 30 appearances.

“The change and the chances I have been given are great and I want to repay Rangers for that opportunity. Once I settled in, I started to play well and there has been trust put in me that I can do it on the pitch.

“I spoke to my agent and my dad and my family and they said it was the correct move. I had interest from Brentford as well but Rangers really sold it to me.

“With the way that they play football and with the great history that the club has, I couldn’t say no.”

The move to Ibrox gave McAdams the opportunity to test himself against some of the top young talents in Europe last term as the Colts recorded a number of impressive results in their Games Programme.

Matches against the likes of Hamburg and Spartak Moscow in recent weeks have been other important challenges for the Under-20 squad that is led by boss Graeme Murty.

But there are also domestic hurdles to be overcome once again this season and Rangers are two points clear at the top of the Reserve League after the first half a dozen fixtures.

McAdams said: “Playing last season in the Games Programme was great and we got that European experience but now we are back in the league, which is competitive, and we are doing really well. It is our aim to go and win that league.

“Personally I feel I have been doing quite well this season so it is just a case of keeping that up and playing as well as I can every time I get that chance. Everyone has that aim.

“It is vital that you have a competitive competition to play in each year because it does show who can step up when it matters.

“Obviously the European games are friendly based but all the boys know that when you step out onto the pitch you have to give your all at Rangers.

“We all do that, no matter if it is a competitive game or a friendly game. It is crucial for us to have competitive competitions.”

McAdams is just one of a band of budding Light Blues that are striving to rise through the ranks and earn their first team stripes in the coming years.

Auchenhowie kid Robby McCrorie has been rewarded with a place in Steven Gerrard’s squad this term but it is Allan McGregor and Wes Foderingham that occupy the first two spots in the pecking order.

Both are a source of inspiration and help to McAdams and the practices that are in place are preparing the 19-year-old for his own shot at glory at Ibrox.

McAdams said: “From the first team down through the Academy, there is a really good system in place and I think a lot of that was down to Jim Stewart.

“I wasn’t here when Jim was first team coach but Colin has now taken that on board and is bringing his own ideas into it as well right through the levels.

“Colin and Graeme Smith do a great job, they speak to each other all the time and they are picking up on wee things to help every player progress. They do an excellent job.

“You look at Liam Kelly moving on and slotting into the Livingston first team pretty comfortably and that just shows that the calibre of coaching is really high here at Rangers.

“Allan is a man with great experience in the game and he has been through it all in football. He started out with Rangers and was successful here, he has done well down south and he has played in Turkey, so he has plenty of experiences to draw on and pass on.

“Wes has been a big help to me as well and I speak to them both whenever I can during training and before and after training.

“I pick up on things that they see as well as the coaches so both of them have been really helpful.”

*Aidan McAdams is pictured promoting Rangers Lotto for the Rangers Youth Development Company.

Rangers Lotto costs just £1 to play, is one of the most successful products in RYDC’s growing portfolio and fans have won cash prizes of £10 million since it was launched in 1994.

Since 2002, RYDC profits have been directed to Rangers Football Club’s youth programme - with more than £7.5 million provided in those 16 years.

For full details on their products – Rangers Lotto, Rangers Pools, Rising Stars, Scratchcards, Stadium Bricks and the Youth Members Club – visit www.rydc.co.uk or call 0141 427 4914.