LEE Wallace’s crippling shyness was so severe that he would be scared to upset the first team if he opened the door of their dressing room in the wrong manner.
Eye contact with the big stars at Hearts was a no-no and when he did break into the side as a teenager, interviewing him was akin to coaxing a Trappist Monk to sing a death metal song, he was so quiet and self-effacing.
The Wallace of today, a fine Rangers captain who is an articulate and passionate spokesman for the dressing room, is such a different character to the daft laddie of a decade ago that it is hard to believe they are the same person.
Read more: Mark Warburton backs Clint Hill to handle Old Firm heat in battle with Moussa Dembele
“One of the things the manager made clear to me was enjoying the responsibility I was taking on,” said Wallace as he mused on his role at Ibrox. “The gaffer would have taken his time assessing who he would give the captaincy when he came in. I was fully appreciative of that fact it was me. I had a good idea of what it meant having been at Rangers in the previous years. I learned a lot from previous guys I played with, previous captains and managers as well. The responsibility is huge but it is one I relish.
“I have felt the seniority and the maturity as you are asked to speak a lot. I do enjoy it but there can be difficult times. It was difficult speaking after the last Old Firm game given the emotion I felt. That is part of football and it is part of learning. We know there is a huge demand on us to win the games but I enjoy the pressure. It is definitely an intense role but one I am relishing.”
You would have got long odds on Wallace being captain of any club when he first started out. This was a time when the youth players knew their place, which was firmly in the shadow of the first team, and he was hardly a voice.
Read more: Mark Warburton backs Clint Hill to handle Old Firm heat in battle with Moussa Dembele
“When I read Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand, they talk about the differences about how young footballers are perceived these days,” said Wallace. "Going back to my early days, I had a tough time. I cleaned the boots of John McGlynn and Christophe Berra and there were scary moments.
“Some of the jobs back then included carrying water bottles into the dressing room. I wanted to make sure I opened the door a certain way, I walked in quietly, keeping my eyes on the ground. I think that’s what made you grow as a young player back them.
“I’m not saying that has to be the way we go back to but I do remember the scary aura of the first team and thankfully at that time John Robertson handed me my debut.”
Wallace is a coach with Tynecastle FC - once a Jambo and all that – in the East of Scotland League and has found this experience to be invaluable in his approach to captaincy.
Wallace said: “I have realised both jobs [playing and coaching] are light years apart but I have learned by dealing with close friends and a good group of young players who are always asking questions, and getting out there Tuesday and Wednesday night games when I can.
“That side of things has really helped and it’s something I am looking to go into years down the line. The maturity has come not only from the captaincy of Rangers, but the coaching role as well.”
Wallace has a major role to play at Hampden this afternoon, not only as a left-back where he will be kept busy enough, but also to make sure his team-mates keep their heads no matter what is happening in the semi-final.
This did not happen last time on a day which the skipper described as the worst of his career.
“I know I’m captain, but we’re blessed with a number of guys who I know can take on that role, whether they’ve played in an Old Firm game or not,” he said.
“How we operate as a squad, how we play and how we train, I think we realise the magnitude of the game on Sunday. It’s a game you can’t wait for as a player, and game you should be privileged to play in. You should relish that responsibility.
Read more: Mark Warburton backs Clint Hill to handle Old Firm heat in battle with Moussa Dembele
"We realise the intensity surrounding it all but what a game for us, probably more so than them at this point, to go and show that we’re still there and to go and really impose what we perceive to be the best way of playing.
“We saw periods of that the semi-final last year, and we’ve got to go and enjoy that, really relish it.
“It’s just about doing what we do, and doing it better. We’re gathering good momentum in terms of performance in recent weeks and the last two results have been pleasing. We’ve kept a clean sheet and Friday night we saw glimpses of how a Mark Warburton team play football and what a best Rangers team do to their opponents.”
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