By Danny Wright

30th Oct, 2022 | 7:45pm

View: It's time for van Bronckhorst to show faith in Rangers teenager Adam Devine

Adam Devine has been a mainstay of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s matchday squads at Rangers this season but the 19-year-old right-back’s game-time has been shockingly low.

Despite making the bench 14 times in all competitions this term for the Light Blues, Devine has played just once when he completed 90 minutes of a Premier Sports Cup win over Queen of the South on 30 August.

It’s obvious why he’s making van Bronckhorst’s squads too.

Since selling Nathan Patterson to Everton last January, Rangers have been light of options at right-back.

James Tavernier, the club’s captain, is being run into the ground by playing almost every game.

We’re at the end of October and Tavernier, 30, has already played 22 times in all competitions for the 2021/22 Europa League finalists and there have been worries about the Englishman’s form.

Tavernier looks shattered.

Defensively, he’s never been that great but his concentration levels are hitting new lows while he’s becoming less and less effective in the attack due to his inability to get up the pitch as quickly as he was last season or the season before.

Rangers effectively had a dead-rubber Champions League tie coming up against Ajax at Ibrox on Tuesday night (1 November).

Scotland Under-21 international Devine has been on the bench for all but one of Rangers’ Champions League matches this season in both the qualifying phases and the group stage.

It’s only fair for him to get a shot.

Not only would playing the Glasgow-born teenager hand van Bronckhorst a chance to give Tavernier a well-earned rest ahead of a triple-header of league games versus St Johnstone, Hearts and St Mirren, it’ll also give Devine a senior appearance that’ll no doubt go a long way to helping his development.

On 9 October, the Daily Record reported how Devine has signed a contract to ensure he stays at Ibrox until 2025.

It is understood that he’s “been knocking on the door of a first team position” and sporting director Ross Wilson is clearly aware of the youngster’s ability.

As quoted by the Record, Wilson said: “We have developed our Academy development programme considerably in recent seasons with a clear focus on clear individual plans. Adam has been making excellent progress against his plan which is naturally pleasing for Gio, and all of our coaching and support staff. I am sure that Adam’s hard work and progress will continue.”

Can Devine be Rangers’ next Patterson?

We’ll only find out if he’s given the game-time he deserves and with anything but an unlikely five-goal victory over Ajax being enough to ensure Rangers stay in European football after Christmas, it’s pretty obvious this game is the one to help kickstart his senior career at Ibrox.

In other Rangers news, a youth football expert has hailed the Gers for funding a tour for the Kinetic Academy.