Rangers star Alex Lowry says meeting and working with Juventus star Aaron Ramsey was a highlight of an already impressive debut season at Ibrox.
The 18-year-old from Uddingston broke through into the first-team at Rangers last season and is on the verge of making his Scotland under-21 debut in a European Championships qualifier this afternoon, having signed a contract extension at Ibrox.
But he says his game has come on leaps and bounds from working with Welsh internationalist Ramsey as he prepares to face group leaders Belgium with the young Scots in Sint-Truiden.
Scot Gemmill's side must beat Belgium and Denmark in their final two games, and hope results elsewhere go their way, to progress in the competition.
But it's another step on an amazing journey for Lowry, who this season scored his first league goal for Rangers and was on the bench for their Europa League and Scottish Cup finals.
Former Arsenal star Ramsey ended his loan spell at Rangers under a cloud, having missed a crucial penalty as they lost the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt, and is trying to resolve his contract issues at Juventus.
But Lowry says he learned a lot from Ramsey and the rest of his teammates.
Lowry said: "I don’t think the last few weeks have really sunk in with the Europa League Final and my first Scotland Under 21s call-up.
“I’m just trying to take it and use it, but it has been a whirlwind couple of months.
“I’ve spoken to [manager] Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his staff and they think it’s brilliant that I am here and it’s a great opportunity.
“At Rangers, Aaron was amazing to learn from. He has played at such a high level throughout his career.
“To learn from him was amazing. It was great to learn too from Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent, to name a few, in my position.
“Learning from them has been so good for me. I’ve picked up lots of small things that make a massive difference.
“Aaron was great with a lot of the younger boys who came up.
“He spoke to me a lot and all the rest of the younger players were just watching him, just the way he conducted himself and how good he was in training.
“You were like, ‘Wow, he is a top player.’
“Taking stuff from his game and trying to put it in my own was great for me."
Lowry says he learned a lot from being with the squad at the Europa League final in Seville, which he can use as his career takes off.
"Seville was amazing for me as an 18-year-old boy going over," he said.
“The result wasn’t brilliant, of course, but what an experience it was for me and my career.
“I’ve probably picked up more off the pitch in the sense of how guys prepare, what they eat, how they conduct themselves around the hotel.
“On the pitch I’ve learned a lot tactically such as how players pick up the ball and use the space so well.
“The physical side is part and parcel of the game now, isn’t it? So it’s more the tactical side of it I’ve learned from.
“But that week was the most stressful of my life!
“I just got so many requests for tickets. I got about 15 so I did my best. There were people I hadn’t spoken to in ages who wanted tickets, family who wanted tickets. It was mental.”
Lowry has gone from playing in the Lowland League in front of a couple of hundred fans with Rangers' 'B' team, to the first-team environment, and admits he can't believe his luck.
He said: "A year ago I would have been on holiday and in transition from the Under-18s to the B team. If they said this at the start of the year I would have thought it would have been just a dream.
“No way would I have believed I would be in this position.
“It’s been incredible so far. I’ve gone from playing with the B team week in, week out and although I have maybe not played that much for the first team, I have learned so much.
“From playing in the Lowland League to the Europa League Final has been crazy.
“My family are proud of me. There was a big change when I made my debut then a spotlight was on me for a while and that took a bit of getting used to.
“But everyone in my family seems to have coped well and they are keeping me grounded, which is the main thing.
“My friends have all been around football. I’ll still get the ‘big-time’ shouts now and again though!
“So my life has changed in some parts but I am still the same person with the same family who keep me grounded.
“Maybe the spotlight is on me a bit more.”
Scotland under-21s face a tough task to stay in with a chance of qualifying, but Lowry says he'll soak up as much of the experience as he can.
He said: "It’s a privilege to be called up for the Under-21s.
“I scored a good goal for the Under-19s against Croatia which secured qualification for the Elite Round. It’s certainly one of the better goals I’ve scored.
“But Belgium is going to be a tough game. They are one of the best teams in the world and I am expecting the same from their youth teams as well.
“I’ve been involved in big games like the Europa League Final and this is another big game, so I am looking forward to it.
“A lot of my family are quite big Scotland fans so it’s brilliant for them to see me for the Under-21s and hopefully get closer to the first team, which is my main aim.
“But I know I need to perform here to get to the next level.”
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