BLAINE McCLURE hopes the experience he garnered in his first loan spell in senior football will stand him in good stead in his young Rangers career.
The 18-year-old made the switch to League One outfit Kelty Hearts in January, taking his first steps in an experienced environment and sampling the demands of lower league football in Scotland.
Such was the faith that the club had in the Northern Irish midfielder that he featured 13 times in the second half of the season, impressing with his guile and creativity in midfield.
Speaking to the official Rangers website, McClure reflected: “I definitely took more confidence from my game, especially playing against more experienced players.
“I feel as if I’ve proved myself as well, going out and getting men’s football. I also feel as if I’ve added a streetwise element to my game, because going there, if you’re one or 2-0 up and going for the win, you need to be more streetwise than at Under-18s level.
“Those players have been in the game a long time and they drill it into you. I feel more confident after going out and testing myself.
“At first, you’re Tuesday and Thursday nights are no longer your own because the drive up to Kelty is two hours.
“I would come in here in the morning then through to training in the evening. It’s obviously different, but I thought I adapted quite well and I enjoyed it.”
When the interest first arrived from Kelty, McClure wasn’t sure whether the right step was to depart the familiar confines of the Under-18s dressing room to step into League One football.
Indeed, the youngster admits he sought advice from various parties before making a decision.
He continued: “I was quite unsure what to do. I spoke to my dad, my agent, and a couple of coaches who all thought it was best for me at this point of my career.
“I thought it would be a crucial step whether to go or not, and I was in my two minds about it.
“I spoke to Stevie Smith who has been in that situation before as a player, and he thought it was best for me.
“I didn’t really know much about Scottish League One coming from Northern Ireland, so I done a little bit of research and thought it was the right move for me.
“I was thinking more about myself because I felt like I could do with the experience.
“I wanted to see what the next challenge was and test myself against players who are more experienced and physical than I am.
“It was beneficial and, looking back now, I don’t regret the decision.”
It was an ambitious step for McClure when he learned of Kelty’s desire to bring him to the club given he was featuring regularly for Stevie Smith’s Under-18s side.
Kelty represented an unfamiliar environment where the livelihood of the players and coaches depended on the result at the weekend.
He continued: “I was going in not really knowing what to think. I knew I was going into a team who were doing well in the league; they were fourth when I joined.
“The manager, Charlie Mulgrew at the time, brought me in and had a style of play.
“The boys had to adapt to that too. The standard was good, and I can’t say that I expected how good the standard actually was.
“Playing Under-18s football is completely different. At a club like Rangers, all you want to do is win, and at Kelty Hearts there was the sense that the manager’s job depended on the three points as well as the morale of the dressing room.
“It was good going out and getting the three points; after the game you felt good, whereas losing didn’t feel so good.
“It was good going out and getting that competitiveness with Kelty.”