Glasgow Rangers have produced a number of talented players in their academy in recent years, and Michael Beale has a plethora of options to call upon from the B team this season.
The likes of Adam Devine, Alex Lowry and Leon King have all played first-team minutes after graduating from the youth setup this term, and they will be looking to follow in the footsteps of players like Allan McGregor and Nathan Patterson, among others who successfully made the transition from academy to first-team.
However, Beale could have had another talented prospect to call upon at Ibrox if the Premiership club had not allowed winger Malcolm Ebiowei to leave in 2021.
Where is Malcolm Ebiowei now?
The forward spent around 18 months in the U18 side at Rangers after joining on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2020, before departing to join Derby County in England for nothing in September 2021.
He hit the ground running for the Rams by scoring seven goals in seven matches for their U18s and worked his way into the first-team setup at Pride Park. He then made 16 senior appearances and chipped in with one goal and two assists from out wide, which attracted attention from clubs higher up the pyramid in England.
Derby coach Justin Walker hailed the teenager’s quality in 2021/22, saying: “I think he has been a breath of fresh air. You can see how much the fans have warmed to him, he gets people out of their seats. He has got that little bit of X-factor, if you like, that creativity we have lacked at times in the final third.”
Ebiowei’s contract at Derby expired in the summer of 2022, and Premier League outfit Crystal Palace swooped to sign the talented teenager on a free transfer.
The wizard made an instant impression at Selhurst Park by scoring twice in three U21 outings, and Patrick Vieira drafted the dynamo into his first-team squad. That resulted in Ebiowei playing five senior matches for the Eagles in the first half of this season – including three games in the top flight of English football – before he joined Hull on loan in January.
Ebiowei has showcased his quality at both Derby and Palace, and Rangers fans may be wondering what the magician could have achieved had he remained at Ibrox.
The exciting teenager, who plays off the right, could have formed a frightening wing partnership with Ryan Kent, having shown at youth level that he has the quality to score goals on a regular basis.
Meanwhile, the current Light Blues star, who predominantly plays off the left, is a proven performer in Scotland, with 33 goals and 55 assists in 209 Rangers appearances in all competitions.
The former Liverpool man has the ability to deliver goals and assists from out wide, and Ebiowei’s form at youth level indicates that the young maestro could have grown to have a similar impact on the opposite flank for Rangers.
Therefore, the Light Blues dropped the ball by allowing the teenage English gem to leave in 2021, as Kent and the now-Palace attacker could have struck up an exciting wing partnership at Ibrox.
