Barry Ferguson reckons fellow Lanarkshire lad Alex Lowry will gain invaluable experience with Rangers in Seville as they go for glory in the Europa League final tomorrow night.
And the Ibrox legend has waxed lyrical about Lowry's potential to follow in his footsteps to become a "proper Rangers player."
Hamilton native Fergie is the last Lanarkshire star alongside Motherwell man Lee McCulloch to have played in a European final for a Scottish club, and he is delighted to see Uddingston ace Lowry involved in the squad to face Eintracht Frankfurt.
While Ferguson and McCulloch came up just short in the 2008 final against Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester, he hopes Lowry and the squad will be getting their hands on that famous trophy at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.
Lowry's stock is soaring after he followed up a contract extension until 2025 with back-to-back man of the match displays in last week's wins over Ross County and Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.
Having been involved as an unused substitute throughout the UEFA Europa League run, it's unlikely the searing heat in the cauldron of a major final will serve as his debut on the continent.
However, Ferguson reckons just being involved in the squad for such a momentous occasion will prove invaluable as Rangers bid to lift a first European trophy since 1972.
In an exclusive interview with Lanarkshire Live Sport , Fergie, who spent 13 years at Ibrox across two spells, said: "What an experience it will be for Alex Lowry.
"I've seen the young kid play and he has the potential to be a proper Rangers player.
"He is still young, he still needs to get his head down, work hard and keep his feet on the ground - and if he does that Rangers will have a real player on their hands.
"He's got the chance now to be in Seville and sample all that comes with such a huge game.
"Whether he's involved or not, that's an experience that you just can't buy.
"He's a Lanarkshire boy and I love to see Lanarkshire boys do well in the game and go and have careers.
"Me and Jig [McCulloch] were lucky enough to do that for Rangers.
"And as well as seeing Rangers go one better than we did in the final, I want to see young kids like that go on and become regulars.
"You don't see enough of that at the moment, in my eyes.
"But I certainly believe that this young boy has the potential to become a regular for Rangers."
Lowry has shown a Fergie-esque confidence on the ball in the centre of midfield, with an eagerness to take possession and produce those defence splitting passes.
It has seen some fans liken the 18-year-old academy product to Ferguson.
So what does the man himself make of the comparisons?
He said: "I can see similarities in terms of him being a similar age to when I broke into the first team and became a regular.
"He's got great awareness, he's got a goal in him and what I really like is that he wants the ball all the time.
"I love to see that with young players. He's not scared to take the ball in difficult situations and there's nothing better than seeing a young boy flourish.
"That's what I want to see and, for me, it makes it even better when it's a Lanarkshire boy.
"I really enjoy watching him play.
"I want to see local guys do well and I really believe if he listens to the experienced players, he listens to his manager then Rangers will have a proper player on their hands."
Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.
**Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
