Wes Foderingham is the perfect role model for Rangers kid keepers...

[ian1964 10,596]

...says coach Colin Stewart.

 

COLIN STEWART provides the knowledge and the coaching for the next generation of Rangers keepers.

 

And he reckons Wes Foderingham should be the inspiration for those under his tutelage at Auchenhowie.

 

The 36-year-old oversees the development of several shot-stoppers as he looks to produce the next Ibrox No.1 for Mark Warburton’s side.

 

It is Foderingham who is the current incumbent at Ibrox as he has become an integral part of the Light Blues squad since signing from Swindon.

 

Boss Warburton has tipped the 25-year-old for a bright future in the game and touted him to push for a call-up to the England setup if he can continue to impress and improve.

And Stewart, the son of Gers first team coach Jim, hopes his kids will benefit from seeing Foderingham in action at Auchenhowie and Ibrox after an eye-catching start to the season between the sticks.

“A lot of people always overlook the goalkeeper but since Wes came up here he has bought into what we are doing here and he has performed very well,” Stewart told SportTimes.

“I get the pleasure of working with him when my old man goes away on international duty.

 

“Not only is he doing well on the park, he is a great professional and he is always helping in the Academy as well.

 

“He is the strongest when it comes to the gym work and he has bought into everything about Rangers.

 

“He works hard to develop and it is something for the young goalies to look at. He has been very consistent this season and is up there in terms of our player of the year so far.

 

“You can see the way that football is evolving and goalkeepers touch the ball more with their feet. They are key parts of how the team plays.

 

“It is up to Wes where he plays. Hopefully Rangers continue to progress as a club and we can get back to European football and the top level of the game and we can hang onto guys like Wes.

 

“We are a team that like to dominate the ball and the pressure really is on him. He is handling that pressure really well right now.”

 

Under the stewardship of Head of Academy Craig Mulholland, Stewart is one of a Light Blue band of coaches looking to help the Gers hopefuls realise their Ibrox dreams.

 

He turned out for a host of clubs in Scotland before moving onto the side lines and had a spell in Qatar before returning to these shores to continue his coaching career.

 

Matt Gilks is the main challenger to Foderingham for the Gers gloves at present but Stewart is confident his young shot-stoppers can rise through the ranks in years to come.

 

He said: “It would be fantastic to see a young goalkeeper, or any player from the Academy, going on to play regularly for the first team.

 

“The example to follow is the Allan McGregor pathway. He learned his trade on loan at St Johnstone and Dunfermline and put in the work until he was 23, 24 and he got his opportunity to play.

 

“We have certainly got a lot of talented goalkeepers in the Academy and it is up to them to work hard. They can look at Wes and what he does and hopefully they will get to the required level.

 

“The ultimate aim for us is to produce players for the gaffer to take into his squad. We are excited with the talent we have got in the Academy but there is still a lot of work to be done before they get that chance.”

 

*Derek Parlane is the latest Light Blues to have a brick panel named in his honour and supporters can snap up stadium bricks with their own personal messages now for £50.

 

Bricks on Derek’s panel can be purchased now from http://www.rydc.co.uk,'>http://www.rydc.co.uk, by calling 0141 427 4914, texting RANGERS to 67766 or visiting the Rangers Lotto office in Broomloan House at the stadium.

 

Stadium Bricks are ideal presents for Christmas so make sure you snap them up ahead of the 2pm deadline on 21 December. If you order before then you will receive your certificate in time for the big day and bricks will be placed between 8-10 weeks after that.

 

For more information on RYDC and our portfolio of products – Rising Stars, Rangers Lotto, Scratchcards, Stadium Bricks and the new Youth Members Club – log on to http://www.rydc.co.uk, email rydc@rangers.co.uk or call 0141 427 4914.

 

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/14964193.Wes_Foderingham_is_the_perfect_role_model_for_Rangers_kid_keepers__says_coach_Colin_Stewart/

[MacK1950 2,278]

Good to read but am a bit doom and gloom as I am still waiting for the inevitable loss of a goal from his footwork.

[Frankie 8,306]

Good to read but am a bit doom and gloom as I am still waiting for the inevitable loss of a goal from his footwork.

 

He's been lucky once or twice but I don't think we've lost any goals directly from a passing mistake by Wes in the 69 games he's played for us. That suggests his style of play isn't as risky as many panicking fans think.

 

I might be jinxing him now but I personally think his distribution is superb. And generally he's a very competent 'keeper in other areas. His save in the lead-up to the disallowed Hearts goal on Saturday showed incredible reactions.

[pete 2,499]

He was a bit dodgy last season but his hard work and good coaching has made a massive difference to him and he has saved us a good few points. keeping is about confidence and he has a lot more confidence this season as last.

[calscot 0]

I'm of the thinking he sometimes looks dodgy by virtue of the amount of time he spends with the ball at his feet under pressure. A keeper who launches the ball up the park every time doesn't have the same chance to look dodgy, but that wouldn't be in our tactics, and it was very unpopular with the fans when it was Neil Alexander's preferred choice.

 

So basically, I think the nature of our tactics makes him look worse than he is - you have to specifically compare him to other keepers who are required by the manager to play the ball out the vast majority of the time.

 

I think we've also been spoiled with top class keepers in the past, and so maybe he doesn't live up to them, but for our present day budget, doesn't seem too bad.

[ian1964 10,596]

I like the fact he seems to be more commanding at cross balls than he was,another improvement to his game,if he keeps improving then who knows how far he can go in the game!