JOHN FLECK'S rise among the Rangers ranks continued in the 2009/10 season as he featured more than twenty times in the top team.

The 18-year-old's progress has been steady since he was handed a top team debut by Walter Smith in January 2008 at the age of 16.

The following campaign saw him promoted to the first team squad and he made ten appearances, scoring his first senior goal for the club.

But it was the 2009/10 season that saw him more heavily involved. He made twelve starts as well as three substitute appearances in the Champions League.

That progress was perhaps overshadowed in fans' eyes by the meteoric emergence of Danny Wilson as a regular starter.

But with Fleck more than doubling his involvement on the previous season it was a fine campaign for the youngster.

The nephew of former Ibrox star Robert signed for Rangers days before his 16th birthday on August 24, 2007 having made rapid progress through the youth ranks at Murray Park.

A talented midfielder/forward, Fleck was a key player for the club's double winning under-19 team in 2006/07 season despite his tender age

His ability to score goals as well as create chances made him one of Scotland's most promising young stars.

On July 12, 2007, he was called up for the first-team squad's pre-season tour of Germany and was handed his debut, albeit in a friendly, against SV Lippstadt 08 on July 15. Rangers won the game 4-2.

He then followed this by being named on the bench for SPL matches against Kilmarnock on August 25 and Gretna on September 1 although he did not feature in either fixture.

If he had been given the nod from manager Walter Smith he would have been one of the youngest players ever to wear a Light Blue jersey in a competitive first-team game.

On the international front, John captained Scotland under-16s to an 11-0 victory over Jersey under-17s, scoring a hat trick in the process and also skippered the same team at the 2006 Victory Shield competition.

He has since been promoted to both the under-19 and under-21 squads at international level and remains eligible for both.

Despite his age and a relatively limited involvement in his first few seasons Fleck has two medals to his name as a Light Blue.

A substitute appearance in the 2008 Scottish Cup final was almost capped by a goal and last season he earned his first Championship medal as Rangers secured back to back titles.