Da Marcus Beasley will not allow his ongoing struggle for prominence at Rangers to jeopardise his ambitions of playing in the World Cup for America.
Da Marcus Beasley will not allow his ongoing struggle for prominence at Rangers to jeopardise his ambitions of playing in the World Cup for America.
The winger has made only seven appearances this season and has failed to make a compelling case for more regular inclusion. Beasley's Rangers career is best described as eventful. His winning goal against FK Zeta at the start of last season sent Rangers on their way to unprecedented endurance in the Champions League and UEFA Cup, largely without his influence.
The American winger damaged a cruciate ligament against VfB Stuttgart when he collided with Raphael Schafer, and did not reappear until the end of the season, with a goalscoring performance in the Scottish Cup final win against Queen of the South. Luck has hardly been more kind this season.
A succession of transatlantic flights to fulfil his international obligations have sapped Beasley's energy and left him a peripheral figure in Rangers' oversized squad. He was ineffectual against Kilmarnock last month and was replaced at half-time and has not managed 90 minutes since. There is a growing suspicion that the dainty American is not equipped for the physical requirements of Scottish football. Yesterday, the 26-year-old expressed his frustration at a bit-part role and admitted he would be prepared to leave to salvage his prospects of a leading role in South Africa in 2010 if the situation did not improve.
"I definitely think about it," he said. "I do not want to just accept it, so choosing another option has to be something to think about if it continues but I am being patient and do not want to resort to that yet. I am not getting any younger, I want to play regularly and I want to play in the next World Cup, so all that comes into consideration.
"Everybody wants to play but we have a very big and competitive squad. You know you need to take your chance when it comes. Hopefully mine will come again sooner rather than later. You cannot let it affect you, there are a few players in the same boat."
Walter Smith has failed to solve the problem of maximising productivity on the left side of midfield. Lee McCulloch, Beasley, Charlie Adam, Kenny Miller and Kyle Lafferty have all been used with varying degrees of success. Steven Davis's personal situation may provide an opportunity on the other side and Beasley is loth to leave without a fight.
"There is maybe only one position up for grabs the way the manager sees it and nobody has really established himself in it yet, so there is an opportunity," he said. "My batteries have been recharged, I have not played for a while and I am ready."
He denied a sense of deja vu, with his PSV Eindhoven career petering out in similar fashion after a promising start. "It is not the same situation as PSV," he said. "The coach changed there and that changed my position. I would have been fine if Guus Hiddink stayed but Ronald Koeman took over and I was not playing regularly."
