Ibrox View: Rangers surely have to tie down youngster whose potential is 'limitless'

Rangers have to do everything that they can to keep Alexander Smith around.

The talented academy gem is currently on loan with Scottish League Two side Dumbarton, where he has notched four assists.

The Scottish-American midfielder signed a three-year professional contract in June 2024, which is set to keep him at Ibrox until the summer of 2027.

Danny Rohl‘s side needs to ensure that he stays beyond that and has the opportunity to prove that he can make it in the first team with the 55-time champions.

Rangers have not utilised their academy enough in recent years, but the German and the 49ers Enterprises group and Andrew Cavenagh seem to be taking a serious approach.

What has been said about Rangers gem Smith?

Smith is one of the most talented youngsters at Rangers, and is thriving in his first spell away from the Govan club.

The Sons manager Frank McKeown waxed lyrical about the Gers gem and the potential that he has for the future.

In quotes reported by The Herald on 10 April, he said: “He’s fantastic. He’s got a great left foot. He’s very intelligent as well. You can see he takes messages on, and some of the things I can tell him straight away, it’s as if it just clicks in his brain.

“He knows exactly what you want him to do, and he just goes and does it. He gets up, he takes a knock, he gets back up, he gets back on the saddle and goes again.

“I think the ceiling and the potential for Alex is literally limitless.”

Who is Smith and why is he so highly rated?

Smith is a 17-year-old attacking midfielder, who is very highly rated in the Auchenhowie youth setup.

He has already featured on the substitutes’ bench for the Gers first team in the Europa League clash with FC Porto in January.

He has been capped seven times by Scotland’s Under-17s and eight times by the Under-16s, but also played for the United States’ Under-17 side in September 2024.

He describes himself as a creative player who likes to beat defenders and wants to add more goal contributions to his game.

That will be music to Rohl’s ears and those in charge of his development before he makes the breakthrough to the senior level.

The Gers have to tie him down to a new deal sooner rather than later, so that he cannot be poached by another club and developed into a superstar away from G51 in the future.

His spell in Dumbarton will only increase his stock, as time ticks down towards the expiry of his current deal with Rohl’s side, meaning that they need to act quickly to sort his future out.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.