MacLeod & proud

[ian1964 10,625]

McDowall: Lewis is the best I have coached since McGeady

 

KENNY McDOWALL rates Lewis MacLeod the best prospect heâ??s coached since Aiden McGeady emerged at Celtic.

The Rangers No 2 played a key part in McGeadyâ??s sensational rise from 12-year-old wannabe to Hoops first team star when he worked under Martin Oâ??Neill.

 

Now McDowallâ??s overseeing the dramatic emergence of midfield dazzler MacLeod, 18, across Glasgow at Ibrox.

 

The ex-Celts reserve coach said: â??For me, Lewis has been brilliant.

 

â??Obviously people look at David Templeton, Barrie McKay and Fraser Aird, the entertainers. But for me Lewis has been unbelievable.

 

â??Centre midfield is a hard area to hold, and for a boy to come in and keep his place, at his age, is fantastic.

 

â??He was unwell last week but before that, he was the only one player apart from the keeper to play 100 per cent of the games. That is astonishing for a kid of his age.

 

â??He has unbelievable temperament and is destined for the big-time. Heâ??s a big player for us.

 

â??He copes well off the pitch but thatâ??s because no one knows him. He canâ??t get into pubs because heâ??s too young!

 

â??That is good, though. Sometimes you find a diamond. I think Lewis is that good, I really do.

 

â??Heâ??s got the temperament to be an Old Firm player. Heâ??s not fazed. The first session he came in, he wasnâ??t fazed at all.

 

â??Sometimes you see them a bit tentative and not sure and it takes them a while to get in the group. But Lewis was bang at it straight away, making tackles, demanding the ball. You can tell.

 

â??Aiden McGeady was obviously an unbelievable talent when he came in.

 

â??They are different types of players, McGeady obviously and Barrie McKay, David Templeton.

 

â??Lewis is the main ball player in the middle of park. But his potential is just as exciting.

 

â??I remember McGeady was in at Celtic at 12 and just looked unbelievable. You knew right away he was going to be a top player.

 

â??That is what I mean, when you see them, you see them. Iâ??m convinced Lewis is going to go all the way too. I think heâ??s a cut above.

 

â??Heâ??s been one of our first picks in the team. That is how highly we rate him.

 

â??Lewis has got every chance of going the whole way and being a top player for a lot of years.â? McDowall and boss Ally McCoist have been big influences on MacLeod, but were strikers in their heyday.

 

Coach Ian Durrant, however, was a hero in the centre of midfield.

 

And McDowall acknowledged: â??Right away Durranty knew he was a player. Heâ??ll talk to him at length about different things, which is great for Lewis.

 

â??The fact Ian played in there means he can especially appreciate what Lewis is doing.â?

 

McDowall, though, has great admiration for the efforts of all the Gers babes during this extraordinary season.

 

He reckons theyâ??ve shown courage as much as anything else.

 

He said: â??As far as their education goes, there wonâ??t be a better season for the young boys at Murray Park.

 

â??They are getting an education now because of the circumstances.

 

â??Normally it would take a lot longer for them, involving loan spells elsewhere. Now they are being blooded over a full season. I can remember Stephen McManus was 23 or 24 when he got in at Celtic, so that shows how patient boys have to be at times.

 

â??But Ross Perry is fortunate in terms of where we are in squad size and so many people leaving.

 

â??That created an opportunity for guys like Ross and others. Itâ??s fantastic for them.

 

â??In years gone by at Rangers and Celtic, itâ??s not been an easy place to break into.

 

â??The young boys have had to be courageous. Some of them have come out of the youth team and straight into action in front of 50,000.

 

â??Thatâ??s a big ask for anybody.

 

â??Weâ??ve signed players from Premier League teams who have come here and itâ??s taken them time to settle.

 

â??I think of big Steven Whittaker and Kevin Thomson. It took them nearly a season to settle down and get to grips with the demands of this place.

 

â??So you can imagine what thatâ??s like for a youth player.

 

â??All of a sudden having to produce in front of 50,000 people and win games.

 

â??Everyoneâ??s saying itâ??s only the Third Division and weâ??re going to win it easy.

 

â??But the oppositon players arenâ??t exactly easing up. They are giving our young boys a serious test.

 

â??Ross was due his chance. He had been chapping on the door for this year anyway.

 

â??Heâ??s a bit olderBut yet again due to circumstance â?? Davie Weir, Carlos Cuellar, boys like that leaving â?? the doorâ??s been opened for Ross.

 

â??Now heâ??s been asked to lead the line at times at the back for Rangers, depending on whoâ??s been asked to play alongside him.

 

â??Big Emilson Cribari is a fantastic player and a calming presence for Ross.

 

â??The young boys have come on unbelievably from June until now. The Third Division is fantastic experience for them.â?

 

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/4753432/MacLeod-proud.html

[54andcounting 0]

Yes we are producing some fine young players that are carrying our hopes right now, what a diversion from all the crap that's getting 'flung' at us along with having to play in the lower league in Scotland.

 

It's a desperately long haul for us 'Gers fans but the young guy's like MacLeod and others mentioned can only be good for the club and long may it continue. This is gonna be one helluva journey for us all.

 

WATP!

[Gribz 745]

Im a bit dubious about McDowalls coaching skills if he can only bring in a kid this good in Div 3. Why wasnt he bringing in players when we were in the SPL and why werent they good enough for the SPL last season rather than making make shift midfields with McCulloch. If your good enough your old enough.

Edited January 20, 2013 by Gribz

[chilledbear 16]

Strange time to come out with this, middle of the transfer window.

[johnnyk 158]

Im a bit dubious about McDowalls coaching skills if he can only bring in a kid this good in Div 3. Why werent they good enough for the SPL last season rather than making make shift midfields with McCulloch. If your good enough your old enough.

 

i don't think any are at a level of the players we had last season. how many internationals left and quite a few went to the EPL. Silly post this gribz.

[kuznetsov 0]

unsurprisingly i am not a fan of clipboard kenny.

[Anchorman 0]

unsurprisingly i am not a fan of clipboard kenny.

 

Well SHOCKAROOOONY :shock:

[Gribz 745]

i don't think any are at a level of the players we had last season. how many internationals left and quite a few went to the EPL. Silly post this gribz.

 

Are you kidding, have you seen McCulloch in midfield? And Edu didnt show up on many occasion.