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Aiden McCallion is one of a number of Rangers Academy players training with Russell Martin’s first-team squad this pre-season and the young midfielder says he is excited about the campaign ahead.
The 17-year-old midfielder has been part of the Rangers senior squad since the start of the year and is learning every day in that professional environment.
He is enjoying the intensity of the new manager’s sessions and is working as hard as he can to catch his eye.
Aiden told rangers.co.uk: “It’s been good so far, getting to know the new head coach and getting back round to the first-team side.
“Catching the manager’s eye is what you always want to try and do when you’re round at the first-team side, but now that I’m round there from the get-go I think it’s a good chance to try and impress him.
“He’s been saying to the deepest midfielders to always be on the half-turn and keep your body open so we can see the whole pitch.
“He’s been saying to the full group that we need to be ready to run without the ball and then, with the ball, we need to be tidy with it.
“It’s possession-based, a lot of short and sharp passes, so for me as a midfielder it’s something that could suit me.
“It’s definitely a harder pre-season. It’s a bigger load and running is more difficult because you’re running with men and aiming to keep up with them.
“Compared to the academy side it’s a lot harder, but they’re both really hard.
“We have been doing mostly ball work in the morning and running in the afternoon. We’re still getting a lot of the ball in the morning, but the afternoons are mainly just focussed on our running.”
Aiden won the Academy Player of the Year Award last season and he played his part in the Glasgow Cup win over Celtic at Firhill.
Reflecting on a successful campaign he added: “I had the chance to look back and I thought it was a really good season.
“We won the Glasgow Cup, came close to winning the league, and I won Academy Player of the Year.
“I didn’t expect to get round to the first-team side in my first year at the start of last season, but as the season went on I felt I was getting closer and I was just desperate to impress the manager once I got round.
“Last season when I was round at the first-team side there was Findlay Curtis, Paul Nsio and Zander Hutton, but there is a couple more now around my age.
“It makes it a little easier to have them alongside me.
“It’s better because I’ve gotten to know more of the boys and they know me. It makes it easier going round this time at the start because I’ve already trained and been away with them before.
“I was really nervous the first time that I went round. But the boys all made me feel welcome and, once you get going, it eases up a little bit.
“Was I disappointed not to make my debut last season? I was a little bit.
“But if you said to me at the start of the season that I would travel with the first-team and be on the bench I would have definitely taken it.
“It’s a dream for me to play for Rangers because I’ve been here since I was seven-years-old. It would mean the world to me to make my debut, so it gives me more hunger to go on and do it.
“It’s about working your hardest and making an impression.
“The standard is a lot higher. You don’t get as much time on the ball; it’s more physical because you’re playing with men. I think I’ve been able to deal with it for the most part.
“It’s an eye-opener to see the level you need to get to and training alongside them should develop me as well.”
Aiden’s development is assisted by annual RYDC donations to the Rangers Academy and more than £12 million has been provided so far.
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