Scotland . . . where the best players are just passing through
WHEN Ally McCoist said recently that his staff were going through a list of 143 Clydesdale Bank Premier League players whose contracts are due to expire in the summer – and who Rangers would have to persuade to wait only until September 1, when their registration embargo clears – a new reality was placed in a harsh light.
WHEN Ally McCoist said recently that his staff were going through a list of 143 Clydesdale Bank Premier League players whose contracts are due to expire in the summer – and who Rangers would have to persuade to wait only until September 1, when their registration embargo clears – a new reality was placed in a harsh light.
Liam Kelly is the subject of interest from Bristol City, while Andy Driver has long been a target for English clubs
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Neil White
It talked to the debate around the changing identity of football in Scotland; to the new economic pressures on the full-time clubs; to the shift in what supporters see in their team.
In the immediate future, it points to a likely talent drain from the Premier League to the top three leagues in England. Celtic are likely to pass their summer without recruiting a single player from their own division; Rangers, gearing up for another promotion push, are likely to continue to lure free agents with top-flight experience. The majority, including some of the brightest talents in the league this season, will join clubs in England, a kind of financial promotion. The economics of professional sport dictate that they will be replaced by players at an earlier stage of their development, or just flat-out inferior.
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