JACOB Pazikas says he has benefitted from the experience of his first loan in senior football this past season.
The 19-year-old goalkeeper spent the campaign with Lowland League side Civil Service Strollers as the Edinburgh side recorded an impressive seventh-placed finish.
It was a significant milestone in the career of the youngster as he took his first steps in a senior footballing environment, and he insists the experience was eye-opening and beneficial in equal measure.
Speaking to the official Rangers website to reflect on his season-long loan spell, Pazikas commented: “It was very positive. It was necessary for me to go out and get game time playing with and against older players.
“It has properly benefitted me, especially my confidence. The season that I’ve just had will hopefully help me progress through the leagues and has definitely developed me further.
“It was helpful because it got my confidence up about playing boys who were older.
“It was different in the sense that it was a team who weren’t expected to put four goals past certain opposition or push for titles. However, when you don’t have the ball you tend to be faced with a lot more.
“Playing senior football compared to academy football, you’re not trying to play the pretty side of the game at certain times.
“It’s all about three points. If it’s an ugly or untidy performance and you still get the win, it’s all that matters.
“I feel that my ability to claim crosses and be a presence in the penalty box has improved over the last year.
“I’ve faced a lot more set-pieces and physical challenges from strikers, so that has helped me progress.
“As a goalkeeper, you need to be able to deal with these things when you come through the ranks.
“I find in academy matches that you tend to deal with a lot more shots from distance or cut-backs, but at senior level, games can often be decided by set-pieces and crosses into the penalty box.”
It was a campaign of ups-and-downs for the teenager, sustaining a finger injury in August which derailed his season until the turn of the year.
However, he was restored to the side and underlined his worth to the Edinburgh side, helping his side to a strong conclusion to the season.
He added: “I was devastated when [the injury] happened. There was always that doubt in my head about there being no certainty on when it was going to be 100 per cent healed.
“I was worried that I wouldn’t get my place in the team when I got back, but I’m thankful that I did.
“The boys were class with me. They were always keeping in touch with me and making sure I was doing well.
“They were asking when I was going to be back and even small things like when the next scan was.
“You’re faced with a lot of different challenges when you’re out on loan, especially when you’re young.
“It’s something that I didn’t want to pass up and you need to face these challenges because, when you’re older, it should serve you well for the rest of your career.”