THERE is an exchange in the movie Airplane! when an elderly lady asks the stewardess if she had something light she could read. “How about this leaflet on famous Jewish sports legends?” she offers, the passenger gratefully accepting a tiny bit of paper. It was a gag that poked fun at the stereotype that athletes of Jewish origin have tended to struggle over the years, although some like Mark Spitz and Sandy Koufax have certainly done their bit in dispelling the myth.

The same can be said about Maltese sporting superstars. Granted, there can only be so much expected from a Mediterranean island with a population of less than half a million but, even if opportunity is scarce, it does not mean ambition has to be similarly diminished.

Perhaps Malta’s most famous sporting export remains snooker player Tony Drago but others have also done their bit to put the former British colony on the map. The latest to try to forge a path for themselves in the world of professional sport is Myles Beerman.

The defender is still young at just 18 years old but, having previously been on the books at Manchester City and having made his debut for the Rangers first team against Kilmarnock on Wednesday night, there is evidently potential there for Beerman to go on to take Drago’s crown as Malta’s favourite sporting son.

“Yeah, the little island from the Mediterranean,” smiled the teenager about his homeland. “Not many people know about the island, but we’ve got huge talent which is unbelievable given how small a country it is. We’re very limited in what we can do but I believe in our country’s talent.

“We’ve had the likes of Tony Drago, Andre Schembri and Michael Mifsud over the years. Michael played for Coventry and Andre’s playing in Portugal just now in the top league [with Boavista]. We have a few good shooters as well.

“I haven’t played snooker, I’m not a fan, but there’s massive sports talent in the country. We’re really small but all we need is the exposure and the mentality from the kids to keep on developing and progressing forward.

“I’ll never doubt my ability and I’ll keep working hard to prove my potential as much as I can. I would love to be involved for Malta against Scotland later this year. I’ll grasp any opportunity that comes my way to take my career forward.”

Beerman escaped from Malta in 2014 to sign for City. With his progression to the first team looking increasingly unlikely, he jumped at the chance to move to Rangers last summer. There had been little expectation on him to make the first team this year but an injury to Lee Wallace has presented an opportunity for him at left-back. Up against the imposing figure of Conor Sammon, Beerman coped well and, alongside another debutant in David Bates, played his part in Rangers securing a clean sheet. He hopes this can just be the start of the journey for him.

“I was back home on international duty last September when I got a phone call from my agent on transfer deadline day to say Rangers were interested,” he explained. “Obviously I was with Man City but this was a brilliant opportunity for me. People might have thought it was a downgrade for me to move from City to Rangers, but Rangers are a massive club with a massive history and it was a step closer to first team football for me so I took the opportunity.

“When I came at first I came with one indication and mindset which was to keep working hard and do whatever it took to get into the first team. I’ve been playing under-20s football all season but my main target and focus in my head was to make my debut.

“It was different class to play against Kilmarnock as it has always been my dream since a young age to become a professional footballer. Making my debut for such a massive club with such massive history, you can’t describe how I’m feeling right now.

“I knew I would be targeted because I’m a young lad, a new name, but I didn’t let that affect me whatsoever. I stayed focused, analysed [Jordan] Jones and [Conor] Sammon before the game and made sure I was as ready as any player to make sure I wouldn’t be out of place to put in a top performance.”

With Wallace set to be out injured for the best part of a month, there would seem to be an opportunity for Beerman to enjoy an extended run in the side including the forthcoming double-header against Celtic.

“I’d definitely love to be involved in the Old Firm games. I’ll keep working hard and do my best and then it’s the manager’s decision. No matter your age or physicality you’ve got to be ready mentally when the manager needs you as a Rangers player. You’ve got to be ready to go out there and perform, no matter the circumstances.”