Rangers winger has struggled for gametime at Ibrox this season.
Forgotten Rangers winger Ross McCausland has been backed to revive his international career with Northern Ireland, but has been warned he must escape the Ibrox wilderness to flourish.
McCausland, 23, spent last season on loan with Aris Limassol in the Cypriot top flight, but returned to Rangers in the summer, with the Ibrox academy graduate reportedly not being keen on a permanent move to the Alphamega Stadium. Upon his return, he admitted he’d “love” to continue his career in Glasgow, but conceded he may need a fresh start.
Named on the bench for the Europa League qualifier against Jagiellonia in mid-August, McCausland scored in Rangers’ 5-1 demolition of St Mirren in the Premier Sports Cup a few days later. However, he hasn’t played a single minute since. Out of contract in the summer, he’s been urged to find the “right environment” by his ex-international teammate Conor Washington as he aims to resurrect his stuttering career.
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“I remember Ross coming into the Northern Ireland squad and being really impressed with him,” said Washington. “He looked sharp in training, was really direct and wasn't afraid to get at people. He had that confidence to take players on and make things happen, which is something you always want from a wide player.
“I'm not necessarily surprised that he's found it difficult to establish himself at Rangers, because it's a tough environment for any young player, particularly when the team isn't doing well. When results aren't going your way, there's huge pressure on managers to turn things around, and sometimes younger players are the easiest ones to leave out. There's less patience for mistakes and development almost becomes secondary to getting results.”
McCausland has five caps for his country, but hasn’t featured for his national team since coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 Nations League defeat to Bulgaria over two years ago. Behind Isaac Price, Connor Bradley and Callum Marshall in the pecking order, the Rangers man faces a tough task to break back into the squad, but Washington thinks it would be wrong to write off the Rangers winger at such an early stage in his career.
The 34-year-old, who played alongside McCausland on his debut for Northern Ireland against Finland in November 2023 and also represented Hearts during his playing career, thinks he can still succeed, but insists the first step on his road back to international recognition will be finding a team that will play him every week.
“I certainly don't think it's a question of whether he's got the ability,” Washington told BestBettingBonuses.co.uk. “I saw enough of him with Northern Ireland to know there's a really talented player there. It's probably more about finding the right environment where he can play regularly, build confidence and get back to doing the things that made him stand out in the first place. Whether that's at Rangers or somewhere else, I think regular football is the most important thing for him at this stage of his career. He's still got plenty of time on his side and I certainly wouldn't be writing him off in terms of getting back into the Northern Ireland squad.”