Rio Ferdinand is flawed but pay attention as Rangers prodigy's body language blows Man Utd hero away | Scott McDermott
Rio Ferdinand might not be the best TV pundit in the world.
But he knows a gifted footballer when he sees one. And at Old Trafford on Thursday night, a Rangers youngster made the former Manchester United and England superstar sit up and take notice. When Bailey Rice stepped on to the pitch at half-time in the Europa League Battle of Britain, he would have been forgiven for feeling a bit daunted or fazed by the venue and occasion.
Instead, the 18-year-old midfielder looked like he had been playing there all his life. With his shoulders back, head up and a cultured left foot, he seemed perfectly at home in the Theatre of Dreams. His body language and ability immediately caught the eye of Ferdinand in the commentary box. Remember, this is a guy who was one of the most prodigious talents of his generation, coming through the West Ham ranks with Frank Lampard and Joe Cole.
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He moved to Leeds United for £18million then on to Manchester United for £30m. Ferdinand won six Premier League titles and a Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson, as well as 81 caps for England. He played with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford. So whatever you think of his punditry skills, the former centre-back appreciates technique when it’s right in front of his eyes.
And when Rice caressed a killer pass into the path of Cyriel Dessers at Old Trafford, for the big Nigerian to hit the post, Ferdinand’s eyes widened. You could sense it in his voice. “I tell you what, I’m liking Rice, by the way. He’s come on, he looks composed and with that left foot he looks like he’s got a bit.”
Ferdinand was effusive in his praise of the Rangers starlet, who was thrown on by Philippe Clement when Connor Barron went off injured in their agonising 2-1 defeat. If Rice can handle it at Old Trafford, he can play anywhere. Which is why Clement should start him at Tannadice in the Premiership. The Belgian’s squad is down to the bare bones with three more players crocked in Manchester. So far Clement has been reluctant to throw kids into his side. And some might argue that a tough away game against the team sitting third isn’t the ideal circumstance for blooding kids.
Especially when Rangers’ form on the road domestically has been so poor this season. But that 45 minutes at Old Trafford proved Rice is ready to play.
If he can take on Manchester United, he won’t be flustered against Dundee United. This is his time to shine, with injuries decimating Clement’s side. Rice will need more experienced players to help him, of course. But one of them, Albanian playmaker Nedim Bajrami, is adamant that he’s ready, along with the likes of Ross McCausland, Findlay Curtis and Zak Lovelace who have all got recent minutes in the first team.
Bajrami said: “A lot of our key players weren’t available for the Manchester United game but the young boys did well. I’m proud of them, so we’ll keep helping them game by game – that’s key now. I’m confident these young players are good enough to step up for Sunday’s match.
“Everyone will have to be ready, the young players and the older players. But we have to help them because the season is still long. I’m proud that they played in front of 70,000 people on Thursday and put in such a good performance.”
Bajrami is a seasoned international who arrived at Ibrox from Serie A side Sassuolo in the summer after playing at Euro 2024. He’s got plenty of experience behind him and Clement will need that to come to the fore in the next few months.
After taking on Dundee United today, Rangers face Union St-Gilloise in midweek, looking to sneak into the Europa League top eight – which would book a last-16 berth. And even if the young players have to be utilised, he’s convinced they’ll be better for their Old Trafford display.
He said: “For the players who are younger and less experienced, it’s important we try to support them on and off the pitch. They were great against United. And they’ll get stronger with every game. They have to improve after Thursday night and do it in the league now. They have to keep going like this, working hard every day.
“Personally, I have a lot of experience so I try to say to them before each game just to play with freedom. I say: ‘Don’t think, play free and enjoy it.’ Because we don’t play every game at Old Trafford.”
Rangers are still recovering from the heartbreak of Bruno Fernandes’ injury-time winner which gave Ruben Amorim’s side a narrow victory on Thursday night. Their Euro dream is still alive, with a play-off place guaranteed, but they must sort out their away form in the Premiership starting today at Tannadice.
Bajrami said: “We’re frustrated because we played a great match at United and scored a great goal. When they scored at the end – that’s football. Now we must look forward to Sunday.”
Young Rice was a shining light at Old Trafford and that’s why the Rangers fans will quite rightly be hoping he gets another opportunity to strut his stuff today.
