Ex-Rangers and Hibs star Kevin Thomson has tipped Rangers starlet Alex Lowry to fill the shoes of Premier League-bound Joe Aribo.
The 19-year-old came through the Gers’ youth academy and signed a new three-year contract extension in May after impressing manager Giovanni Van Bronckhorst.
Aribo, 25, is set to join Southampton for £6M + add ons after turning down a new contract offer at Ibrox.
The loss of the Nigerian international would be a major blow for Rangers, but Thomson, who previously oversaw the Rangers Under-18 squad, has said that the club already have a ready-made replacement in Uddingston's Lowry.
He said to Daily Record : “Look, it’s not going to be easy to replace a guy like that – I think he played more games last season than any other player in world football – so he’s obviously a very important player for the team. He’s also a great lad. I know him from my time working in there and he’s a really humble boy with a great attitude.
“If I was a young lad, like a Lowry or whatever, and I was seeing guys like Aribo moving on then I would be working extra hard in pre-season to try to stop the manager bothering about spending big money on a replacement.
“There’s no doubt in mind that he has all the tools to nail down a regular first-team place. He has everything in his locker to be a top player. People talk about getting chances and opportunities to train with the first team but I think pre-season, in the modern-day game, is a real chance to lay down that marker.
“It’s about putting yourself in front of the manager’s nose and showing him how you live your life, how you conduct yourself in the team hotel at dinner, lunch and breakfast. It’s a chance to cement your position in his thoughts and I’d be really surprised if Alex isn’t doing exactly that right now in Portugal.”
“He’s a big talent. He’s probably got the most scope I’ve ever seen in a kid, brain-wise. His football brain is exceptional. He might not have Aribo’s physique but he can run when he wants to run and his game awareness and technical ability is top of the tree. His decision-making has also improved with maturity and when he’s had opportunities in the first team, he’s taken them every single time.”
