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Rangers Academy graduate Mason Munn was thrilled to see fellow Northern Irishman Ross McCausland making his first-team breakthrough last season and the 18-year-old goalkeeper followed in his footsteps today when he made his debut against Fraserburgh.
Mason joined from Glentoran in 2022 and after two years of intense development with the Academy he was promoted to the Light Blues first-team squad in the summer.
He also signed a new four-year contract with the club ahead of the new campaign so with his long-term future sorted out he is now fully focused on learning from Jack Butland, Liam Kelly and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart on a daily basis.
Munn has been a regular starter for the B Team in the past 12 months and featured in the recent impressive SPFL Trust Trophy run.
He also produced a terrific display between the sticks as Steven Smith’s under-18 side beat Aberdeen 2-1 in last season’s Scottish Youth Cup Final at Hampden and he featured in December’s 3-2 Glasgow Cup Final triumph over Celtic.
The supremely talented and confident young keeper has a thirst for knowledge and has high hopes of becoming the latest in a long line of proud Northern Irishmen who have played for Rangers.
Steven Davis, Jimmy Nicholl, Billy Simpson, John McClelland, Sam English, David Healy, Roy Carroll, Kyle Lafferty, Dean Shiels, Chris Hegarty, Andy Little and Gareth McAuley are among the many former Light Blues heroes who came before Ross McCausland and played regularly for the first-team.
And it is a journey Mason is determined to try and emulate.
In a wide-ranging interview as he showed his support for The Rangers Youth Development Company – who have donated more than £11.5 million to the Academy since 2002 – the Northern Irish under-19 international discusses his recent first-team promotion and journey with the club so far.
He said: “It was a quick turnaround for me in the summer.
“Moving from the B Team to the first-team happened very quickly and with players moving out of the club the opportunity came up for me and the manager has belief in me.
“I’ve been prepared well at the Academy so I was ready to step up. The tempo is different but I was prepared mentality and I understand what it takes.
“I had a few sessions with the first-team before I moved round full-time and it was about understanding how the manager, coaches and players work.
“There are different ground rules so I had to get used to that but the lads have been brilliant with me to be fair and I’ve settled in quite quickly.
“Liam Kelly has been through the Rangers Academy and Jack’s had a great career so they are two great people for me to learn from. They are both great guys off the pitch as well.
“I just try and be a sponge and soak up as much information from them as I can.
“I try to listen and learn as these are guys who have done it so I’ll just do my best to keep getting better.
“In football anything can happen so you have to be ready.
“I just train hard every day and try to impress the coaching staff because if the opportunity comes I need to be ready.
“You have to have something about you to be a professional footballer. You have to have that extra bit of enthusiasm and believe you are good enough.
“Goalkeeper is obviously a specialist position and only one can play so it can take a wee bit longer than an outfielder to get the chance as they can come on for 5 or 10 minutes here or there.
“Sometimes players get injured or miss games though illness, I would never wish that on any player of course, but sometimes chances do come along like that.
“Ross McCausland benefited from that last season but he still had to be ready and take his chance.
“I’m very close to Ross being from Northern Ireland so it’s good to have him in the first-team squad with me. Hopefully some of his good fortune can come my way as well.
“I joined Rangers in 2022. I was playing with the Glentoran Academy and the Reserves when I was 15 and that’s where it all started from.
“I was enjoying my football but when a big club like Rangers comes calling you can never say no.
“I’ve enjoyed it from the second I arrived and I learn quite quickly. I’ve got a good family and a good dad – who also played as a goalkeeper – and I understand what it takes to be a footballer.
“I was ready when I moved over here and I have belief in myself.
“It was an easy decision to move here and we have everything at the training ground to succeed in this game. It’s all here and there is nothing better than learning in this environment.
“All the people we need are in the building.
“A lot of players from Northern Ireland have done well at this club in the past and that also gives me inspiration to do well here.
“People like Steven Davis are an inspiration for us all and it’s about trying to follow in their footsteps.
“I was always a fan of Roy Carroll because he’s from back home.
“I’ve worked with him as a goalkeeping coach in the Northern Ireland set up too. He has achieved so much in his career and can give me a massive insight into what it takes to play at the highest level.
“Manuel Neuer is another goalkeeper I admire so that’s two amazing people to watch and try to learn from.
“I am part of the first-team squad now but I am still young and need to play games so it’s good that I can play with the B Team in competitions like the SPFL Trust Trophy.
“The B Team has done really well in that competition this year and playing competitive games against Boness, Fraserburgh, Clyde, Stenhousemuir and Queen’s Park can only be good for my development.
“I went into last season with a real hunger and desire to do well and it was great to play in games like the Scottish Youth Cup Final against Aberdeen.
“I didn’t play in the final the year before and was a bit gutted but that spurred me on.
“It fuelled me for the season and I was happy to drop from the B Team to the 18s to play at Hampden. We did well to get the victory so it was nice to make a contribution and win the trophy for the Academy.
“I missed family when I first joined and it was my first time moving away from home so I had a slow start as I was just 16.
“But once I got used to the way things were done at the Academy I started to take things in my stride and now it’s all about keeping going and building on what I have done.
“Liam Kelly and Allan McGregor have come from the Academy to the first-team as well – it was two different paths as Liam had to leave then came back – but they were well prepared for first-team football by the Academy and I was too.
“I signed a four-year contract extension in the summer and that security means I can get my head down and work hard.
“The club obviously believes in me and I was always a confident kid. It’s not just playing these days there is a lot of media and interviews too. I don’t mind that side of it.
“I quite like speaking about the game and I think about the game all the time. I’m probably my own worst enemy because after a game I think about it all the time.
“But if you really work hard and understand the game then you will do well in it.
“I watch a lot of football and just love the game.
“I love looking at the way different manager’s work and different players play – there are so many different styles these days so I just love watching football.
“I enjoy working every day with Jack, Liam and Colin Stewart – who has been there and done it and is a great person to learn from.
“Conor Brennan was the same in the Academy side and Smiddy (Graeme Smith) before he left so we have some really good goalkeeping coaches in this building.
“They are a help on and off the pitch as well.
“I am the type of person that wants things to happen now but I also understand it sometimes takes a while in this game and a goalkeeper tends to have a longer career.
“But as I say I’ll just keep working hard, doing well, stay patient and hopefully the opportunity will come at this football club.
“I enjoyed my time at the Rangers Academy and I know The Rangers Youth Development Company have given the club an incredible amount of money.
“The boys really do develop thanks to that support and every penny makes a difference so we are all very happy and thankful for that contribution.”
Mason’s development is assisted by annual RYDC donations to the Rangers Academy and more than £11.5 million has already been provided.
Profit from RYDC’s online store and products like Rangers Lotto, Stadium Bricks and The Union Jackpot draw all go to the Academy, while profit from Museum Lotto is donated to the club for the upkeep and maintenance of the new museum.
CLICK HERE to play Rangers Lotto
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