Nineteen months have passed since Steven Gerrard waxed lyrical about Robby McCrorie after the keeper was thrown in at the deep end and delivered two massive clean sheets.
The then Rangers boss said: "Robby's always been in my thoughts. We've always had a plan for him. We think he's got the potential to one day be a Rangers number one.” Since then? Rangers have had three more managers than their talented goalkeeper has had first team appearances.
McCrorie’s situation is a conundrum that just keeps getting kicked down the line by a succession of bosses and it’s doing nobody any good. The goalkeeper will turn 25 next week. Yet the talented shotstopper who was - and still is - regarded as a future Scotland number one by goalkeeping experts at club and national level hasn’t played a first team match since August 2021. Considering he delivered two performances and clean sheets which would have skooshed the Daz doorstep challenge it seems difficult to think what more McCrorie could have done to announce his arrival as a Gers keeper.
Those back-to-back games for Rangers in late August 2021 came in a pressure furness 0-0 draw away to Alashkert which clinched a Europa League group stage spot followed three days later by a 1-0 victory in the cauldron of an Ibrox Old Firm.
That’s when Gerrard hailed the youngster adding: “Robby and his people know our plan.”
But since then? Nothing. Did that plan gone out the door along with Gerrard a few months later? It's not as if he was lacking in top tier experience by that point having had two separate loan stints with Livingston.
Last year Gerrard's successor Gio van Bronckhorst handed McCrorie a new deal until 2025 - when he’ll be 27 - and said: “Robby is continuing to develop as a goalkeeper and has learned so much from both Allan and Jon. His recent Scotland call-up is testament to his quality, professionalism and attitude.”
Pity the Dutchman never rewarded that quality and professionalism with a single minute of action. Now it’s onto Michael Beale who has spoken openly about addressing the goalkeeper situation in the summer.
In January he hinted at McCrorie getting his chance. Beale said then: “I have goalkeepers in mind for the summer that I’d like to add. But I want to give Jon [McLaughlin] access to playing because he’s been here a long time and he did well in the season we won the title. I want to give Robby the same opportunity as well."
It's crunch time for McCrorie. The keeper has been out injured for a small chunk of the current boss’ time in charge but returned to training last week.
He can’t afford his development to be stunted any further.
When is someone going to trust a keeper who in 180 minutes proved he can handle not just the ball but the most intense pressure any Rangers player can expect to face?
Allan McGregor made his big breakthrough a 24, replacing the legendary Stefan Klos, and never looked back. And while the veteran has looked back to his old self of late surely talk from some supporters of handing him another deal to keep playing next season is just delaying the inevitable and, worse, stalling the development of the man who to many was his natural successor?
Rangers have 11 league games left this season and it looks certain that sooner or later the title will be gone. If McCrorie isn’t given a sniff of action before the summer then you really have to wonder what the succession plan is for someone who Rangers know could go on to be one of their academy success stories.
If the feeling is that it would be too big a risk to blood McCrorie before another massive season at Ibrox - and which campaign isn’t huge - then that says it all. The keeper has now reached an age where he needs to play. Every week.
He can’t just keep being the youngster who “one day will be number one”. McCrorie deserves the chance to prove that time has now arrived.
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