The school of hard knocks Charlie Miller had to scrap his way through is a thing of the past.
But if the former Rangers hero has learned anything from 35 years in the game it’s that making the breakthrough at Ibrox never gets any easier.
It’s a lesson Alex Lowry is about to discover for himself despite his goalscoring introduction on Friday night.
The classy kid lit up Gers’ Scottish Cup win over Stirling Albion, climbing off the bench to replace the crocked Ianis Hagi before producing the spark which bamboozled the Binos.
But the spotlight is now trained on the 18-year-old and if he’s to graduate like nine-in-a-row legend Miller did, he will have to find a way to force his way into Giovanni van Bronckhorst ’s line-up on a regular basis.
But unlike Miller’s day when the pressure to match Celtic’s record run of league titles put the brakes on the Gers production line of young talent, at least Lowry has a boss in charge himself reared in a system that puts a heavy emphasis on bringing on the next generation.
And Miller reckons those Dutch masterclasses will be key to Lowry’s future at Rangers. The 45-year-old said: “The young boy did well on Friday and it was a good finish for his goal. Long may it continue.
“Giovanni has brought him in and no disrespect to Stirling Albion, it’s not a Premiership match but Rangers still had to take care of the result and the wee man did well.
“It’s just good to see another homegrown player come through.
“It’s tough to make that breakthrough – 100 per cent. A lot of folk when they go full-time, they think that’s them made it.
“They think they’re a Rangers player at that point. But what you have to realise is that’s you only starting at the bottom.
“You’re a first-year apprentice and still have to move up to the second-year apprentices.
“After that you have the first-year pros, the second-year pros then the reserves. It’s only then you can see into the first team. That’s what happened to me and you soon clock it’s a journey. A long journey.
“But I soon realised I’m in this for myself. My team-mates were my pals but this was about me becoming a football player. It’s not about friendships.
“You have to want to make those steps up each level and I did. I was lucky to get through it and break into the team at that time.
“Alex had had the same journey but he’s not finished yet.
“I’m sure Giovanni will give the kids a chance because he has that Dutch mentality.
“Obviously he has to be successful here with Rangers and Celtic competing for titles but it was
the same in Holland with Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV.
“He has to be successful but I’m sure Giovanni will.”
The days of talented teens being forced to take a clattering from a grizzled old pro on their way through ranks are now over, with the reserve league replaced by
pro-youth set-ups and B teams. But Miller reckons that was a fundamental part of the route his generation had to go through on their path from becoming boys to men.
“Gio has brought his own staff into the academy as well, so let’s hope they give the kids a chance and don’t just let them play Under-18 football,” said Miller, who now runs his own kids academy.
“I hate the idea of kids just playing Under-18 football. I loved the reserves. I loved playing against professionals who were coming back from injury and getting the s*** kicked out of me.
“It was a learning experience. When I was in the first year of my apprenticeship with Rangers I went down and played against Auchinleck Talbot, Cumnock, Pollok, all these teams. What an upbringing that was for you!
“The guys you were playing against would have no problems leaving a boot in on you. I loved that. But when kids now get to a certain age they are playing against each other all the time.
“The Old Firm teams are now playing in the B team and I hope that works. But it is only for one year.
“I believe Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts and Dundee United should be in it as well. I know you can’t put them all in, it’s impossible. The quality is probably not the best, but you have got some experienced pros in there who know about the tough stuff.
“Playing against men will show you if you have what it takes to play football.
“These big guys will just kick the s*** out of you and not care who you are. These guys would just top you. It was a great upbringing for me.
“But I was playing reserve football with guys like Oleg Kuznetsov, who had played in World Cups, Alexi Mikhailichenko, John Spencer, Duncan Ferguson and Ian Durrant and against guys like Paul McStay and Billy Abercrombie.”
Nathan Patterson talked up the words of advice he received from the likes of Steven Davis and James Tavernier which helped him earn his £16million Everton switch.
But Miller has warned Lowry not all his first-team rivals will be so willing to help him succeed.
He said: “People think the senior pros help the young kids, but a lot of senior pros don’t.
“They are wanting to play and you are coming for their jersey. Some guys are wary of you, some aren’t.
“I was lucky that I broke in and had Stuart McCall and Mark Hateley especially.
“They were great for me. Not that the rest weren’t, but other players are wanting the jersey. You have to fight hard to get it.”
Miller was speaking as he hosted the Charlie Miller Football Academy Tournament at Toryglen. The event, sponsored by the Nick Maughan Foundation, saw 500 children from across Glasgow take part in two days of action.
