Verdict: McInnes to leave Rangers talent with no option but to look elsewhere after latest snub

Derek McInnes was sold to Rangers supporters as the safe pair of hands, a pragmatist who would steady the ship after a turbulent year. Yet the early evidence suggests his pragmatism has a blind spot, and it sits squarely in the academy. Another young player overlooked is another reminder that Ibrox is not currently a place where promising talent can expect a fair shot.

The frustration is understandable. Rangers spend heavily on development, and the pitch to teenagers is simple: work hard and the pathway will be there. But when McInnes reaches for experienced Scottish-league names and summer signings ahead of players who have impressed in training and pre-season, that pitch starts to sound hollow. Youngsters like Bailey Rice, Connor Barron and Ross McCausland have all been at the club long enough to know how quickly a squad list can shut them out.

It is not that McInnes is wrong to want proven players. Results have been shaky, Europe ended in embarrassment, and the pressure from the stands is real. A manager under that scrutiny will naturally trust the footballers he knows. The problem is that the strategy is short-term, and it quietly drains the club’s most valuable long-term asset.

Talented players rarely wait around. Clubs in England and on the continent are alert to anyone who looks stuck, and a few months on the fringes is all it takes for a rival to make an approach. Contracts that expire soon only sharpen that risk, because Rangers would be left with little or no fee for players they developed themselves.

McInnes may well believe he is simply picking his strongest eleven. Fair enough. But if he keeps dismissing the kids, he should not be surprised when the best of them take the hint and leave, and when Rangers are left to buy in what they once grew for nothing.