As steep learning curves go Adam Devine has had one heck of a climb in the last month. Being thrown into top team action for Rangers as the Michael Beale era kicked off with pressure cooker clashes against Hibs, Aberdeen and Ross County would be a tall order for any 19-year-old rookie.
To do so on his weaker side as a makeshift left-back in the absence of Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz was an exercise in versatility as well as ability. Fair to say Devine passed the test with flying colours. The right back insists education starts at home. But it isn’t just new boss Beale who he has to thank for gaining his first team wings - it’s daily schoolings from Ryan Kent.
Kent’s future might be up in the air amid a season in which his brilliance has been reduced to flashes. But Devine has double reason for wanting the winger to extend his stay in Govan. Not only does reckon the 26-year-old can do serious damage to rivals - he also insists going up against Kent in brutal bounce games at Auchenhowie has convinced him he really is ready to be a Premiership regular.
Devine said: “I want Ryan to stay, 100 per cent. He is a great player. He’s difficult to play against in training to be fair.
“Coming up against him every day will improve me. He’s the hardest player I have ever had to train against. You go into any game thinking if you can play against him you can play against anyone.
“He has shown what he can do and hopefully he stays on. Everyone has helped me. I couldn’t single out one of them. All of them are brilliant with me.
“They help me through training, through games, off the pitch. They are all good role models for me to have around me.”
Devine doesn’t have far to look for role models. But it’s a fellow Rangers academy graduate who has since flown the nest at Ibrox that has shown the youngster what’s really possible. It’s not quite two years since Nathan Patterson made his top team bow for the light blues. But his career since has gone into overdrive with European appearances, a league title and 11 Scotland caps.
And of course a then record transfer to the Premier League with Everton a year ago. It’s been a meteoric rise for Patterson. And while Devine refuses to look to far ahead, he admits his pal’s progress is a major motivator.
He said: “One hundred per cent I look at Nathan for inspiration. He was only a few years older than me. It gives me a bit of drive that he was playing in the team at my age. He went into the team and stuck for a while. He was a great player and he played well when he was here.
“I spoke to him quite regularly. When I went up to the first team’s training he would help me through the sessions. He was a good role model.”
For now there’s only one mentor Devine has to impress. The boss who has given him his big breakthrough. He’d sampled top team action as a late sub against Dundee United and his full debut against Hearts at Tynecastle last May. But those were little more than dead rubbers.
Being thrown in by Beale for the friendly against Bundesliga big guns Bayer Leverkusen a month ago kicked off a monumental few weeks where he finally felt he had arrived. And belonged.
And even though he was pulled back out the starting XI for last week’s win over Motherwell and the Old Firm on Monday, Devine is hungry to force his way back in. Beale has already said the teen has been his “biggest surprise” so far as he warned skipper James Tavernier to look over his shoulder if he wants to keep his right back berth.
And Devine said: “It’s been a bit hectic. With Borna being at the World Cup and Ridvan being injured, the manager gave me my chance against Leverkusen and I played not bad. Early on in the game, I can’t remember exactly what happened, but I did something not bad.
“At that moment I felt as if I should be playing here. I eased into the game and I think I did quite well. After that it was up to me to show what I could do. I think I took my chance quite well.
“I just need to keep my head down and keep going 100 per cent. It’s a bit nerve-racking to be fair. The first 10 minutes or so and before the game you are a bit nervous, but once you find your feet you feel like that’s where you are meant to be.
“As a young boy, that’s where you want to be. Wherever you play you need to be ready to take your chance. If you show that your capable of doing it in training then there’s no reason why he won’t pick you.
“I’ll play wherever the manager tells me to play, really. I’ve played left-back a few times with the B-team. So, it was pretty reasonable for me. I loved playing there.
“My family put in a lot of work into my journey. It was a proud moment for them, they’re all massive Rangers fans. For me as a kid, it was my dream to play at Ibrox. I got to do that, so my family were delighted.”
• Adam Devine helped launch the new 2022/23 SPFL Match Attax Collection, on sale now in Scottish retailers and via Topps.com
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