Rangers and the Youth Problem

Motherwell gave Lennon Miller minutes and he grew into something valuable. Rangers, by contrast, have a long habit of mishandling youngsters — so where's the pathway for Bailey Rice?

To be blunt: you can't expect a 16-year-old to stroll into first-team football fully formed. Young players need time, games and a clear plan. Motherwell gave Lennon Miller opportunities and he took them; that sort of nurturing is exactly what our academy should be about, not a conveyor belt of missed chances.

The Motherwell model, and why it matters

Smaller clubs often do the basics well — give a youngster a few starts, back them in tougher games, and let them learn by playing. You can see why a player blossoms that way. It's simple: experience builds confidence, confidence builds form, and form attracts interest. When a club trusts its kids on the pitch, the improvement tends to follow. No magic, just minutes.

What Rangers have (not) done

There's a pattern here. For years supporters have said the same thing: our pathway isn't delivering. The post raises a fair point about Lennon Miller — he wasn't a finished product at 16, and saying otherwise misses the whole point. If Rangers had taken him and then sat on him, we'd likely have broken his progress, not accelerated it. The same criticism hangs over Bailey Rice: what real plan has the club shown since 2022 to get him playing regularly? If he has been out of the game for long spells, that's worrying. I'm not claiming specifics beyond what's been said, but the question stands — are we doing the basics to develop our youngsters?

Fixable issues, if we choose to

The truth is this isn't rocket science. We need clear loan strategies, a willingness to blood young players in less risky games, and honest communication about timelines. Stop hiding talent away. Give them structured minutes, loan them to teams that will play them, and build a progression plan from youth to first team. To be fair, it's not just a football problem — it's organisational. But until the club treats youth development like a priority, fans will keep seeing promising kids flourish elsewhere and wonder why it can't happen here.

We love the idea of homegrown stars. Right now, though, it's talk more than practice. Change that and you'll see fewer 'what ifs' and more youngsters coming through wearing our badge with pride.

Written by RohlWithCheese: 14 June 2026