Michael Beale is preparing to take on the blues as his Aston Villa side face Steven Gerrard’s old Merseyside rivals Everton in the Premier League at lunchtime.
But Beale had one eye on his old blues on the eve of his trip to Goodison Park with Rangers in Scottish Cup action against Stirling Albion on Friday night.
And a bit like a proud father seeing his kids progress, the former Ibrox coach was beaming as another Rangers youngster made his debut.
Beale highlighted a statistic for which he can take plenty of credit along with Gerrard and Gary McAllister.
Speaking as the team line-ups were announced for fourth round clash with Darren Young’s Binos he took to Twitter to say how an appearance for substitute Alex Lowry would make it a dozen top team debuts for academy graduates since Gerrard took over in the summer of 2018.
It didn’t take long before he was back on social media to congratulate teenager Lowry on not only making that appearance - an early introduction after Ianis Hagi was injured - but also grabbing the opener in a 4-0 win to cap a dream night.
So as Lowry starred we look at the other eleven to have come through the ranks at Auchenhowie to star for the first team.
Glenn Middleton
Quickly promoted to the first team when he travelled for the first pre-season under Steven Gerrard.
Had joined from the Norwich City youth academy five months earlier where Graeme Murty had worked with him.
Made his competitive debut in Gerrard’s dug-out bow in the 2-0 Europa League qualifying win against FK Shkuphi.
Josh McPake
Made his top team bow when he came off the bench, replacing Greg Docherty, in a 6-0 rout of Gibraltar minnows St Joseph’s at Ibrox.
Aged just 17, Beale was quick to praise McPake after that and said: "A special moment for Josh and his family. A young boy that has a very bright future.”
McPake is currently on loan at Tranmere Rovers - his with stint away after spells at Dundee, Morton, Harrogate and Morecambe.
Nathan Patterson
Poster boy for the Rangers Academy after his £12 million move to Everton and Beale could see evidence of his work with the right back if the faces him with Aston Villa.
Patterson made his debut two years ago when, like Lowry, featured in a Scottish Cup ties against minnows on a Friday night as he started the win over Stranraer.
Kai Kennedy
Featured in the same game as Nathan Patterson when he replaced Joe Aribo for the final 20 minutes of the 4-0 win.
He said afterwards: “It was a dream come true, it has been what I have been working for for the last seven or eight years and I just hope there are many more to come.”
Kennedy has just joined Hamilton Accies on loan after spells at Inverness, Raith Rovers and Dunfermline.
Ciaran Dickson
Scotland Under-19 international earned his Rangers debut under during the 2020-21 campaign when he came off the bench during the 4-0 League Cup win over Falkirk.
He was then loaned out to Scottish Championship outfit Queen of the South in March until the end of the season before joining Celtic.
Dapo Mebude
Joined the Academy as a 10-year-old and Gerrard gave him his first-team debut at 17 against Kilmarnock in May 2019.
Had a spell on loan at Queen of the South before taking the decision to leave last summer to join English Premier League side Watford.
Robby McCrorie
Handed his debut more out of necessity as Covid decimated the Rangers squad at the start of this season.
Goalkeeper was thrown in against Alashkert in Armenia where he kept a clean sheet before starring in a huge Old Firm win over Celtic at Ibrox just days later.
Leon King
Top team bow came in a League Cup stroll against Falkirk and made his Scottish Premiership debut at the end of the same season when he came on as a late substitute against Livingston.
Defender is highly rated and recently signed a new contract and also came on against the Binos at Ibrox.
Stephen Kelly
Debut against Ayr United in a League Cup victory in Steven Gerrard’s first season in charge at Ibrox.
Joined the Honest Men for the first of three loan spells having also had a stint at Ross County and joining Salford City earlier this month.
Jordan Houston
East Kilbride full back featured in a Scottish Cup win over Cowdenbeath having earlier played for the first team in a friendly against Helsinki.
A loan spell at Airdrie followed before joining Ayr United on loan and is now at Somerset Park on a permanent deal.
Serge Atakayi
Joined Rangers in 2016 when Mark Warburton was in charge after trials at both Leicester City and Fulham.
Made his debut in a 7-1 mauling of Motherwell in November 2018 at Ibrox but left Ibrox a year later to join Finnish side SJK.
