In the words of a somewhat successful rock band, Ross McCausland has seen things we will never see. When he stepped on to the pitch as a Rangers player, he was not just achieving his own ambition of etching his name into a long and illustrious list of talent to have graced Ibrox, he was also living the dream of everyone around him while growing up.
Highly thought of in the academy set-up, the then-20-year-old was leaned on heavily by Philippe Clement during his time at the club and featured when the side last claimed silverware, in the 2023 League Cup final. While he is still weeks away from turning 23, and with arguably his best years still very much in front of him, McCausland admits that playing for Rangers is a life-altering experience.
“I think life outside of football changed for me in terms of when I went home, people almost start to look at you differently,” he tells the Rangers Review .
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“Which, if I could have it my way, I wouldn't have it that way. I'm just still the same person, but I'm living everyone’s dream back home.
“They go to the games every week, they get the boat over and you're just grateful for what's happened.”
The Northern Ireland international reminisces about his time at Ibrox from his apartment in Limassol, where he is currently on loan at Aris alongside fellow Ibrox alumni Connor Goldson, Leon Balogun and Wes Foderingham.
The Rangers boy wonder! 🤩
20-year-old Ross McCausland scores first his Rangers goal to equalise at the Ibrox Stadium! 🔥#UEL pic.twitter.com/63fWLr3WBw— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 30, 2023
What sets the winger apart, however, is that he is still a Rangers player, having only joined the Cypriot side on a year-long loan after he was shipped out to get more minutes by then manager Russell Martin.
It is a loan spell which has been fruitful, gaining valuable experience in first-team football, playing 25 times across all competitions as well as weighing in with four goals. Although he admitted that contact with current boss Danny Rohl has been limited, he retains a desire to continue his journey at Rangers as he goes into the final year of his contract.
“I think you have to,” he responds when asked whether he believes he can return and fight for a spot in the German’s squad.
“To play at a club like Rangers, you need to have that mindset. Not only do you need to want to play for the club, but you need to believe that you're good enough to play for the club. I think at this stage of the season, when maybe I know I'll be coming back to start pre-season, all I can really do is leave the best impression I can.
“Listen, if it doesn't work out, which I would love it to, but if it doesn't work out, you need to build yourself to know that you need to go somewhere else and try and make a career there. At the end of the day, football's a funny game. Maybe things don't go your way, but there's always a way to make a career and all you really need to do is just give your best.”
McCausland’s spell in the Rangers first team came at a period of flux for the club. During just over two seasons in the first-team picture, he played under four managers, with Michael Beale handing him a debut before interim manager Steven Davis gave his compatriot first-team minutes, leading to his first goal against, ironically, Aris Limassol. It was under Clement’s regime that followed, though, that he became a more regular sight in the starting line-up and began to establish himself as a favourite of the Belgian.
A week after his first start for the club away to Livingston in a 2-0 win, he was then rewarded with international recognition when he turned out for his country against Finland in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
Although Clement's reign came to something of an acrimonious end in January 2025, in no small part due to a string of poor results including a shock loss to Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup, the forward is grateful to the man who put his faith in him at club level, which led to his maiden bow for his country.
“I think it would be hard for me to say anything other than it was very good," McCausland said. "It was what kick-started my time at Rangers. As a manager, I thought he was very good.
“You see a lot of Rangers managers have that tough spell and, again, it's hard to win back the fans. But in terms of him as a person, as a manager, he was very good. You see him now at the minute when he goes into Norwich and he turns them around in such a short period of time. Something like that can only tell you what he's capable of doing.”
The tide turned when interim manager Barry Ferguson arrived to guide his former side through the remainder of the 24/25 campaign. Between the arrival of the former captain in the hot seat and the end of the season, McCausland featured on just three occasions – coming off the bench in the dying embers of matches against Kilmarnock and Athletic Bilbao, before being sent off in the first half of his only start under Ferguson in a 2-2 draw with Aberdeen.
Despite this, McCausland was still glowing in his admiration for a man he idolised growing up.
“I remember the first time he came in," he said. "It was his first day and, for me, I can't speak on behalf of the other boys, but it's a wee bit like a pinch-me moment.
“Even when you meet legends from around the club, you see them in and around Ibrox on game days and it's almost like, ‘ooft!’ But yeah, he was amazing.
“Obviously, I didn't play a lot at that stage, but he was a great manager and you could see his love for the club and his passion and I think that's for sure what you need and he certainly had it.”
McCausland is not the first, nor will he be the last, young player trying to traverse the tricky path to success at Rangers, which can often feel like a long and winding road. He need not look too far away from home for the example of Findlay Curtis who, with many calling for him to be thrust into the first team, sought pastures new at Kilmarnock to prove himself ready for life under the Ibrox spotlight.
While both are getting minutes in their legs this year with a ball at their feet, there is a much greater air of uncertainty around another youngster who was tipped for greatness in Govan – Bailey Rice. A string of unfortunate injuries have stunted his development, while there is also a niggling feeling of a player not fully grabbing his chance. And so it has come to pass that he now stands on the verge of the exit door having made just one appearance all season, with fans yet to see him realise his potential.
Rice was a team-mate of McCausland in the youth ranks at the club and while he has no doubt about the 19-year-old’s talent, a move may be on his mind.
“I think it can go one or two ways," he said. "It's like he could leave the club and go and kick on or he could stay and it could work out and he could play hundreds of games for Rangers.
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“I think it's probably a decision only he can make. I think he just needs to bite the bullet with that one. At the end of the day, it's hard to know what the right decision is at the time, but for sure, he's got the talent.
“I played with him probably more so coming through in the B team. Obviously, he was a lot younger playing up age groups and you could see he had talent. His technical ability was second to none and he could play for Rangers for sure. It's hard to know and I think it'll only be his decision to make.”
McCausland will arrive back in Scotland this summer with another year of senior football under his belt. Whether that will set him up to have a tilt at the Rangers first team once again, or whether it will be the start of an entirely new adventure, is yet to be seen. What cannot be argued, though, is that the memories of playing, scoring and lifting a trophy for the club he adored will live forever.
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