While in recent years we’ve seen the likes of Nathan Patterson, Alex Lowry and Leon King live their boyhood dreams by breaking through at Rangers, the sad reality is there are thousands of boys who aren’t rewarded with a glittering career at Ibrox. Leaving Auchenhowie can be a soul-destroying destruction of a long-cherished dream but it doesn't always need to be a disaster - as current Solihull Moors striker Andy Dallas is proving. 

Once upon a time, the now 22-year-old was a highly-rated prospect coming out of Graeme Murty’s youth academy. He was netting week in, week out for the development squad and spent some time on the bench in the Scottish Premiership under Pedro Caixinha and Steven Gerrard.  

He could’ve stayed at Ibrox and fought for a first-team spot, but after a difficult loan spell at Championship side Morton, he was beginning to get the message that he was heading for the exit sooner rather than later. 

Dallas said: “I never got a chance in the first-team under either Pedro Caixinha or Steven Gerrard, but I was on the bench for both of them. I was very close to getting on the pitch, I felt like if another goal had gone in then I would’ve been on. I was there by merit but these things happen in football and it makes me more determined than ever to get back to that level.  

“It was really frustrating, especially when you look back and realise how close you were. I was top goal scorer in the reserve league and we managed to win the league. I was also on loan at Morton but that just didn’t go to plan and I didn’t manage to hit the form I would’ve liked.  

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“When I went back to Rangers, I just knew I was being pushed towards the door. It wasn’t like they said, ‘Unlucky with your loan, we will try and sort another one for you’, it was more that I wasn’t good enough and the door is that way. It was really harsh as I was only 18-years-old and was playing in the Scottish Championship which is a hard level. We’ve seen footballers of various ages go there and struggle. I could’ve stayed in my comfort zone at Rangers and played Reserve League but that’s not the kind of person that I am. 

“I remember going in for a pre-season at Rangers and we were playing 11 vs 11 bounce games, and I wasn’t even getting a game. I was standing there saying ‘what is going on?’ – you go from being player of the month to getting told to go and run around the pitch a few times whilst the others train. 

“It just shows how big the gap is between Reserve League football and first-team football, especially at a club like Rangers. They’re playing in a semi-final of the Europa League while the reserve boys are playing in the Lowland League. With full respect to the Lowland League, you can’t say that playing in that league is going to prepare them for playing for the first team at Rangers.  

“At a club the Rangers, there’s always a tremendous amount of pressure and there’s a demand from everyone associated with the club to win. Sometimes, there is too much pressure on managers’ jobs and are they really going to throw an untested kid onto the pitch when they can turn to their multi-million-pound options on the bench? 

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“Everyone loves to see a home-grown talent come through the ranks of a youth academy, not just at Rangers but anywhere around the world, but the reality is that managers don’t want to put faith in youngsters when they’ve got millions of pounds to spend on seasoned pro’s who’ve been playing the game for years around world. 

“I remember when we used to chat with the other players in the academy about how many players were ahead of them before getting near the first team. The centre-midfielders said that there was about 12 players who would play in front of them before they even got near the pitch – that shows the reality of playing in a football academy at a club as big as Rangers. 

“I always feel like a home-grown talent would be a little bit more time than a player that they’ve brought in for a hefty price. When I was breaking through, it was only really Ross McCrorie who was making that step-up and, in the end, he wasn’t there for long. I also came through around the same time as Nathan Patterson. It was hard for him and even at right-back, his time was limited.  

"It’s good to see that Alex Lowry and Leon King have been in and around the first-team recently and I hope that they’re more to come as I would like to see more youngsters break through. It’s a very hard pathway and all the boys accept that and know what they’re getting into. It’s hard enough trying to push thousands of boys out the way for an opportunity never mind taking the shirt off of the men." 

Having scored against Cambridge in a behind-closed-doors friendly, he was swiftly invited on trial with the U’s after impressing one-time Hibernian boss Colin Calderwood. Before he knew it, he had joined the League Two side on a two-year deal and was leading the line against a full-strength Premier League winning Leicester City side, lining up against Harry Maguire, who was on the verge of an £80 million move to Manchester United.  

“I had a year left on my contract but I had to start looking ahead. I wasn’t involved with the first team and didn’t go away with them either. The club's attitude towards me was indicating that I wasn’t going to be there much longer. They would’ve just sent me on loan to a lower league Scottish side and thankfully the Cambridge option came up. 

“To be honest, I didn’t really think much of it. It was obviously a massive change in terms of moving away from home. It all happened so fast and I just jumped into it all. I don’t have any regrets about it whatsoever as it’s helped me grow massively as a player and a person. 

“I’m part of a Rangers family who were incredibly proud that I was part of the set-up but I knew it was time to take the opportunity to leave if I wanted to continue my development . I’m sure they would’ve wanted me to stay at Rangers but they weren’t a part of my decision. It would’ve been a sad time for them but they knew it was the best way forward. I’ve always been pretty selfish with my decisions and I look at it from a footballing perspective. Sometimes, you need to drop down a few levels to get some confidence, score goals and make a name for yourself. 

“I was fortunate that I had a club who were willing to pay money for me so that I could continue my footballing career. I’ve got mates who’ve unfortunately fallen out of football and it would’ve been hard for them and there’s undoubtedly been dark times. They’ve been known as a footballer throughout their childhood and that has been their identity and all of a sudden, it’s taken away from them. 

“We played Cambridge in a pre-season friendly and I played really well and managed to score. They were up in Scotland for a training camp and I played a trial game against Hearts’ first-team and managed to score there as well. 

“Colin was eager to sign me up and told me I deserved a chance in England. It was a great feeling to feel wanted again by someone. 

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“It all happened really quickly. Shortly after signing permanently with Cambridge, I was up-front against Leicester City in a pre-season friendly, and that was the side who had just won the Premier League. I was absolutely starstruck if I am being honest, and thought ‘this is class' – I could’ve run all night chasing these guys. 

“But that’s when I told myself I made the right decision. In a matter of weeks, I had gone from sitting watching a bounce game at Rangers to matching up with Harry Maguire, who was just about to move to Manchester United for ridiculous money. 

“It was a major step for me and I have no regrets whatsoever. I was getting on the team bus with no clue where I was going, rocked up and played my game. 

Dallas dropped down a level to join National League side Solihull Moors last summer and his form since the turn of the year has been nothing short of incredible as he netted his 21st goal of the season in all competitions on Saturday against his former club Weymouth. 

In January, he grabbed five goals in the one game against Dover Athletic, a week after netting his first professional hat-trick – becoming the clubs’ highest ever goalscorer in one season. He was recognised for his red-hot form by collecting the National League Player of the Month award. 10 goals and two hat-tricks simply couldn’t go unnoticed.  

Solihull, who were formed just 15 years ago after Moor Green and Solihull Borough merged, are comfortably occupying a National League play-off place, sitting behind big-spenders Wrexham and Stockport and the 22-year-old admits there’s a quiet confidence around the dressing room as they look to take the West Midlands clubs to League Two for the first time in their history.  

He added: “Since the turn of the year, I’ve gained a lot of confidence and the team as a whole are playing really well and find ourselves in a good position at the moment. Even when I wasn’t scoring, the management team were really happy with how I was playing as I was chipping in with assists and good link-up play. 

“I definitely broke my rib or at least cracked it at the start of the season but I hate making excuses so I continued to play through it. Whenever you move to a new team, especially six hours away from home, there’s always going to be teething issues. 

“It was an amazing day but it’s honestly just the life of a striker. Sometimes, you go months without scoring goals and then you score a hat-trick and then five goals in the same game. Eight goals in two weeks and all of a sudden everyone’s raving about you again.  

“I’ve been in the business long enough to know that it’s cut-throat. As a striker, if you’re scoring goals then you’re the main man but if you aren’t it goes pretty quiet and you don’t get many calls or texts. 

“It was a weird situation to go into half-time after scoring four goals and after scoring my fifth I was subbed off straight away. I was so hungry to keep on adding more as I had gone so long without them. I felt as if I had some making up to do and at the time, I didn’t appreciate it, but looking back it’s a proud achievement. 

“The club knows I have aspirations to play at the highest level possible and the club wants to go up the leagues. We have a good chance of getting promoted. I have dreams to play with the Scotland National Team, whatever path that is.  

“I look up to someone like Ross Stewart, who recently got a call up for the National side. He was playing with Albion Rovers five years ago and he’s now the second-highest goalscorer in League 1 with Sunderland. That’s the beauty of being a young footballer, you score a few goals and people begin to sit up and take notice. Who’s to say I can’t achieve my dreams as well? "