Despite the bravado and bluster that surrounded Rangers’ return to the Scottish Premiership last summer, it’s been a difficult season at Ibrox.
Naturally, the Gers’ situation is always likely to be compared to that of bitter rivals Celtic’s, as the Hoops cantered to a sixth league title in a row with all the ease in the world, though at least parts of Pedro Caixinha’s early tenure at the club have turned attentions back on to matters within their own camp.
It’s not been an ideal start for the Portuguese in Glasgow, though his rebuilding process was always likely to take time. Still, a resounding 3-0 win over rivals Aberdeen will have lifted spirits somewhat, as he brings through some burgeoning youth talents.
Granted, the spate of injuries he’s been forced to deal with since taking over from Mark Warburton have forced his hand somewhat, though the complexion of what remains in this campaign affords him the chance to blood the youngsters. With little left to play for, Rangers can start to get a feel for where their next batch of players truly stand.
One of those individuals is a certain Myles Beerman. Forced into the starting XI following injuries to the likes of Lee Wallace, the 18-year-old revealed he found out he’d be making his debut against Kilmarnock on Twitter, though has proved rather a popular youngster amongst supporters.
Born in Malta, Beerman has already enjoyed quite the footballing journey, even at his tender age. He began his career with local side Floriana, in a small town by the same, located in the South Eastern region of the island. While not much may be known about the club on these shores, Floriana are Malta’s most successful club and Beerman’s development on their books did not go unnoticed.
Manchester City would spot his big potential during his outings on the small island in the middle of the Medditerrian, a deal that saw them threatened with a Barcelona-like transfer ban. Though things may not have worked out during his relatively short stay at the Etihad academy, the club must have seen a lot of potential to bring him over in the first place.
Indeed, following his performance against Aberdeen, it’s easy to see why. Able to operate as either a left-back or left-winger, Beerman looks like a talent who could one day light up Ibrox. With creativity and excitement proving so hard to come by for Rangers this season, perhaps he offers an option full of attacking enterprise for next season.
The aforementioned Wallace, while a stalwart of the club, will surely be looking over his shoulder. Despite his history with Rangers, the Scotland international has had his fair share of bad games this season and the presence of a younger model looking to usurp him at the club’s starting left-back may be bad news for the 29-year-old.
Clearly, Beerman is hell-bent on making it work at Ibrox. Quoted in the Daily Record recently, the talented teen revealed he once sat weeping when he feared he wouldn’t cut it with the club.
“Everyone in Malta has a dream about playing professional football abroad, but nobody wants to make the sacrifices required.
“I admit I have had nights where I sat by myself weeping. It wasn’t nice.
“But I had to stay strong and move on and strive to keep going.
“The first thing we need to change in Malta is to adopt the British mentality about how we look at football if we want to get to the highest level.”
That sort of determination, along with the talent he’s shown in glimpses during his fleeting appearances in the first-team, could make Beerman the long-term successor to Lee Wallace’s throne.
If Rangers are going to improve their attacking output next season, he could be crucial to their success.
