Rangers youngster Dapo Mebude was pictured taking part in yet another first team training session on Wednesday as he reportedly closes in on getting a senior chance under Steven Gerrard.
The Daily Record snapped pictures of the 17-year-old forward, who already stands at a towering 6’2″ (source: Transfermarkt), in conversation with Gerrard during a training session ahead of Thursday’s crunch Europa League clash against Villarreal.
The newspaper claim on their website that the teen giant has been training regularly with the senior players at Ibrox and is closing in on a first team bow, with the manager willing to give youngsters a chance if they are performing well.
Opinion
As the report says, Gerrard has not been afraid to throw young players the chance to prove their worth in the first team during his time at Ibrox and it seems as though Mebude could well be the next future star to make the step up. The fact that his appearance in training is not a one off but a regular occurrence signals that the manager has high hopes for him. As a striker, he might well have the chance to shine later this season with Umar Sadiq having failed to make the grade following his loan move. The Roma man’s struggles mean that Gerrard only really has Kyle Lafferty and Alfredo Morelos to call upon up top. Could that change with Mebude’s emergence? Only time will tell but it certainly seems that he is in with a shout of making that senior outing sooner rather than later. As a fanbase who love to see homegrown talent come through the system, he will be welcomed with open arms as and when he is given the chance.