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Lewis Stewart is enjoying a productive loan spell with Alloa and the Academy winger was in dreamland recently when he earned a place on the Rangers bench for the Europa League game at Ferencvaros.
The 18-year-old trained with the first-team ahead of the Euro tie in Hungary earlier this month and Danny Rohl named him in the matchday squad – alongside youth team-mate Calum Adamson.
It was a proud moment for Lewis and Calum, who are thriving in League One alongside fellow Light Blues youngster Callum Burnside, and although they didn’t get the chance to make their debuts it has given them extra motivation to succeed at the club.
Lewis, an attacking player who can operate on either wing, joined the Academy at 9 and he has progressed positively through the youth ranks ever since.
The Scotland under-19 international is a tireless worker and is vowing to do all he can to impress Rohl and his backroom staff so he can finally pull on the famous blue jersey.
His form with Alloa in recent weeks has certainly caught the eye – Stewart bagged his first senior goal against Montrose and followed that up with a strike against Peterhead a few weeks later – and he has been a constant threat playing on the right flank.
In a wide-ranging interview as he showed his support for The Rangers Youth Development Company – who have donated more than £12 million to the Academy so far – Lewis says he is enjoying the challenge of regular, competitive football with The Wasps after almost a decade of football education at the training ground.
He told us: “The development phase at Rangers has helped me a lot and going out on loan and experiencing first-team football with Alloa has been really good for me.
“Going out and playing every week is the best thing I could have done at this stage of my career and I am definitely developing at Alloa.
“Getting minutes in competitive men’s football is important and I have enjoyed it.
“It’s good to have Calum Adamson and Callum Burnside with me too.
“I think the three of us have definitely got a good connection and a good bond on the park.
“Burnsy has been playing well on the left and I’ve been doing well on the right so I’d say the link up play between us is already there.
“Cal wins the ball back, drives forward and makes good runs from midfield so it’s good to play with them at Alloa.
“Physicality-wise, it’s definitely a big jump up but I think I’ve adapted to that well.
“People are more aggressive in the way they go about things and you can definitely see the players you come up against are much bigger.
“They want to get into your head more or kick you off the ball but you just have to deal with that and not react.
“As a winger you are always going to have to deal with tackles and players trying to get into your head but you need to reverse that and try to get into theirs by scoring goals and creating chances.
“It’s different from Academy football but to be honest that’s all part of the learning process and I just go onto the park and play my own game.
“The manager wants me to be positive, create chances and get goals and assists so I think I’ve done well since I’ve been in here.
“I can play off both sides and I think I’ve been very positive on the ball so far.
“I’m enjoying my time with Alloa and it was good to get my first senior goal recently against Montrose then another against Peterhead.
“Coming here on loan was the best thing I could have done and hopefully I can keep playing well with Alloa and get a new deal with Rangers.
“Former Rangers striker Calum Gallagher is at Alloa too and I am learning from players like him.
“He has given me a lot of good advice and told me just to go out and be myself and enjoy my football.
“He’s always so positive on the park and if you make a mistake he is always encouraging you and trying to help you improve.
“Calum has been in the game a long time and I am motivated to have a long career too.
“I want to get as many minutes as I can with Alloa and kick on as much as possible.
“I’m definitely progressing and going in the right direction.
“I think I’ve adapted to first-team football well and the goal is to get round to the first-team side at Rangers.
“That’s what every Academy player hopes for and I’ve had a taste of it.
“I trained with the first-team before the Ferencvaros away game and was on the bench with Calum Adamson in Hungary so that was a great experience.
“Calum was also on the bench for the Braga game and I was pleased for him.
“It was a great moment for him and his family.
“It’s a great experience for any young player and I’ve done it too.
“The next step is to make my debut and I will keep working as hard as I can to do that.
“Players like Findlay Curtis have been with the Academy for years and gone on to play for the first-team and that shows we have a chance to do the same.
“He has scored a few goals in big games as well and is now permanently with the senior squad.
“Even if you are not playing every week, you are still learning and have the chance to go and make an impact and I want to be round there too.
“Stevie Smith is working with the first-team now and I had him as an Academy coach for about 3 years.
“I enjoyed working with him and he knows what he wants to see in young players. He likes players to be aggressive, energetic and create.
“He was a great Academy coach and it’s good for the young players here as he knows what we can do.
“Stevie had a great career playing at Rangers and other clubs and it would be good to follow in his footsteps.
“It would be a dream for me to play for Rangers so I need to keep doing well with Alloa and see where I go from there.
“I came to here when I was 9 and it has been a great journey so far.”
Lewis’ career development is assisted by annual RYDC donations to the Rangers Academy and more than £12 million has already been provided.
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