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Aiden McCallion was proud to win the Academy Player of the Year honour last season and is vowing to work even harder to keep progressing in 2025/26 and beyond.
The talented midfielder trained regularly with the first-team squad last term and featured on the bench in a number of games towards the end of the campaign – notably both Europa League ties against Bilbao.
He also scored what proved to be the winning penalty in the shoot-out as Steven Smith’s Academy side beat Celtic in the Glasgow Cup Final at Firhill and those range of experiences have helped him develop as a player.
Aiden, who is 17 in June, has been with the Light Blues for a decade and is extremely grateful to have the chance to work and learn at the training ground every day.
Speaking as he showed his support for The Rangers Youth Development Company – who have provided more than £12 million to the Rangers Academy to date – McCallion reflected on his journey with the club so far.
He said: “I was playing with my local boys club and was scouted when I was about 7 and ever since then I have been at Rangers.
“Alan Boyd and Greg Statt were my coaches when I started and they are both still at the club so I keep in touch with them.
“Obviously, when you are young you are a wee bit nervous coming in for the first time but everyone looked after me so well and when you start training and playing games it is fun.
“It has been an enjoyable time for me and I am really pleased with how I am progressing.
“It’s about 10 years I have been here now and it is my dream to make it into the first-team.
“I was involved with the first-team squad a lot last season and I really enjoyed it.
“I have also been coached by former players like Steven Smith and Kevin Thomson at the Academy and they obviously know what it takes to play for the club.
“They have played so many games for the first-team so it is good to get information from them – both on and off the pitch.
“I have learned and developed by listening to them and they know the information I need to progress.
“They help all the boys and I had a really good year working with them.
“Steven has done exactly what I want to do. Progress from the Academy and have a career with Rangers and he is really good to have as a coach.
“Football isn’t easy and there are hard times to deal with too and Stevie tells us about the good and bad side of the game – things like dealing with injuries.
“We are lucky and grateful to learn from people like him.
“All the Academy players want to do what he has done and progress to the Rangers first-team.
“Last season was great for me as I was on the bench a few times and trained regularly with the squad.
“It has been great experience for me and the next step is to make my debut.
“I have been close a few times and all the boys have helped me a lot.
“When you go round to train with them it is a step up in speed and quality and it should be.
“You are nervous the first time but you need to adapt to it as quickly as you can and I think I did that.
“You have to be confident and show what you can do.
“Having boys there like Findlay Curtis – who is only a couple of years older than me – help you and the more senior boys help you when you start training so I have really enjoyed it.
“I worked with Barry Ferguson, Neil McCann and Billy Dodds last season and they are Rangers legends.
“I tried to learn as much as I could from them when they were here and Barry played as a 6 in his career so I tried to learn as much as I could from him about playing in that position.
“Barry told me to try work on my tackling and off the ball stuff and add more goals to my game. I will definitely work on that.
“I will try to get further forward and try to get more shots on target in games in the new season.
“I’ve always been a midfielder and can play as a 6 or an 8.
“I’m tidy on the ball and like to play passes but off the ball I like to get in about it.
“I can get about the pitch and help drive my team forward. The next step is to make my debut and I will work as hard on my game as I can to make that happen.
“It was great to see Academy players like Findlay, Mason Munn, Bailey Rice and Liam Kelly playing in the first-team last season and I want to do the same.
“Findlay played against Manchester United at Old Trafford and got his first start at Aberdeen so I can definitely take inspiration from his journey here.
“He is someone I can look up to.
“I was on the bench in big games last season and the two Europa League games against Bilbao.
“That was a great experience. The atmosphere you hear when sitting on the bench was unbelievable.
“Travelling with the squad to Spain was incredible and I learned so much from that experience. I really felt part of it all.
“So as I said, the next step for me is to make my competitive debut for Rangers and that would mean the world to me.
“I have been here for about 10 years so that is my dream but I just need to keep working hard and try to catch the manager’s eye.
“I liked watching Steven Davis play when I was younger and I look at guys like Nico Raskin and Connor Barron who play in my position.
“It is good to train with them and I can see exactly what they do.
“I am obviously looking to progress to the first-team but I have enjoyed my time at the Academy and it was class to win the Glasgow Cup against Celtic last season.
“it wasn’t the best of games but winning is what mattered and I was really happy to score when it went to penalties.
“Rydnn McGuire made a few good saves and we managed to get over the line.
“It was a great night and we were buzzing to get the trophy. We had a young team out and that made it even better.
“There is pressure to win at Rangers but I like that.
“Last season I also won the Academy Player of the Year and I was delighted to get that.
“It was an honour to win that award and I was over the moon when I heard my name being read out at the dinner.
“I never knew before so I was really happy.
“I love being at Rangers and the facilities here are the best in the country.
“The pitches are top class and all the Academy players have all the support they need to progress.
“It is a special place to come in and learn every day and we can’t ask for much more.
“I know RYDC have donated over £12 million to the Academy and that’s a great amount that helps us all so we are very grateful.
“It is obviously difficult to break into the first-team at a club like Rangers and that’s the way it should be.
“The standards have to be high but I am confident and I feel I can.
“Everything I experienced last season can help me in the future.
“You aim to get better here every day I have learned a lot already being with the first-team.
“I will have about four weeks off in the summer but the club look after us well and we have fitness programmes to follow before pre-season starts again.
“I will be playing for the under-19s next season but I hope to get round to the first-team side as much as possible again.
“I signed a new contract with the club last summer so I will just focus on what I am doing on the pitch.
“Being at Rangers means the world to me. This is a huge club and it is a privilege to be here.
“I will never take it for granted.”
Aiden’s development is assisted by annual RYDC donations to the Rangers Academy and more than £12 million has been provided.
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