Aaron Ramsey’s legacy at Rangers may not be immediately obvious after his underwhelming loan spell from Juventus.
However, Ibrox starlet Alex Lowry believes his own rapid development has been accelerated by working with the Wales international.
He insists he has come on leaps and bounds after just a short spell working with the star.
Lowry is set to make his debut for Scotland Under-21s on Sunday in Sint-Truiden against runaway group leaders Belgium.
Scot Gemmill’s men are almost certainly already out of the Euro 2023 qualifying campaign.
They would need two wins in Belgium and Denmark in their final games along with other results going their way.
But for 18-year-old Lowry, it marks another step in an incredible month.
He has burst into the Rangers team, scored his first league goal for the club, signed a new deal and been on the bench for both the Europa League Final and the Scottish Cup Final.
Now Lowry has praised the contribution of former Arsenal star Ramsey, who is trying to resolve his contract situation with the Turin giants.
The Wales icon left Rangers under a cloud after his critical Europa League penalty shootout miss in the Seville final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
But Lowry underlined just what an incredible education he’s had as part of the Rangers squad for the continental campaign.
He said: “I don’t think the last few weeks have really sunk in with the Europa League Final and my first Scotland Under 21s call-up.
“I’m just trying to take it and use it. But it has been a whirlwind couple of months.
“I’ve spoken to Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his staff and they think it’s brilliant that I am here and it’s a great opportunity.
“At Rangers, Aaron was amazing to learn from. He has played at such a high level throughout his career.
“To learn from him was amazing. It was great to learn too from Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent, to name a few, in my position.
“Learning from them has been so good for me. I’ve picked up lots of small things that make a massive difference.
“Aaron was great with a lot of the younger boys who came up.
“He spoke to me a lot and all the rest of the younger players were just watching him, just the way he conducted himself and how good he was in training.
“You were like, ‘Wow, he is a top player.’
“Taking stuff from his game and trying to put it in my own was great for me. Seville was amazing for me as an 18-year-old boy going over.
“The result wasn’t brilliant, of course, but what an experience it was for me and my career.
“I’ve probably picked up more off the pitch in the sense of how guys prepare, what they eat, how they conduct themselves around the hotel.
“On the pitch I’ve learned a lot tactically such as how players pick up the ball and use the space so well.
“The physical side is part and parcel of the game now, isn’t it? So it’s more the tactical side of it I’ve learned from.
“But that week was the most stressful of my life!
“I just got so many requests for tickets. I got about 15 so I did my best. There were people I hadn’t spoken to in ages who wanted tickets, family who wanted tickets. It was mental.”
Lowry’s rise to become one of the hottest prospects in Scotland has been remarkable.
In a short time he has gone from playing against the likes of Stirling University, Civil Service Strollers and Dalbeattie Star in front of a couple of hundred fans, to sitting on the bench in Seville in a European final.
And although Lowry admits he has to give himself a shake to prove it hasn’t been a dream, he reckons there is no chance of it going to his head.
He said: “A year ago I would have been on holiday and in transition from the Under-18s to the B team. If they said this at the start of the year I would have thought it would have been just a dream.
“No way would I have believed I would be in this position.
“It’s been incredible so far. I’ve gone from playing with the B team week in, week out and although I have maybe not played that much for the first team, I have learned so much.
“From playing in the Lowland League to the Europa League Final has been crazy.
“My family are proud of me. There was a big change when I made my debut then a spotlight was on me for a while and that took a bit of getting used to.
“But everyone in my family seems to have coped well and they are keeping me grounded, which is the main thing.
“My friends have all been around football. I’ll still get the ‘big-time’ shouts now and again though!
“So my life has changed in some parts but I am still the same person with the same family who keep me grounded.
“Maybe the spotlight is on me a bit more.”
And he’s hoping for a Under-21s debut to remember against the talented young Belgians.
He said: “It’s a privilege to be called up for the Under-21s.
“I scored a good goal for the Under-19s against Croatia which secured qualification for the Elite Round. It’s certainly one of the better goals I’ve scored.
“But Belgium is going to be a tough game. They are one of the best teams in the world and I am expecting the same from their youth teams as well.
“I’ve been involved in big games like the Europa League Final and this is another big game so I am looking forward to it.
“A lot of my family are quite big Scotland fans so it’s brilliant for them to see me for the Under-21s and hopefully get closer to the first team, which is my main aim.
“But I know I need to perform here to get to the next level.”
