Waiting patiently for his turn outside the media room a shade after 10pm on Tuesday night, Findlay Curtis’ mind would have drifted back to the summers of his childhood.
Some 13 years ago, he was a somewhat reluctant conscript to one of Rangers’ Soccer Schools.
He recently confessed to being ‘quite scared’ at the prospect of going along, but the company of his elder brother proved persuasive.
Kieran Reilly, a community coach, immediately liked what he saw. And so, the first step of a journey was taken.
Still only 19, the forward’s first senior goal on just his second start, against Panathinaikos, certainly won’t be his last in light blue. But he’s entitled to pause for a moment and look over his shoulder.
Given the minuscule percentage of talented youths who manage a single first-team appearance, he’s already distinguished himself. It’s also not every day that you get a seal of approval for your efforts from footballing royalty like Sir Alex Ferguson.
Findlay Curtis has been with Rangers since he was just six years old
Curtis has worked his way up the ranks, scoring for the Under-18s against Celtic
Russell Martin put his faith in Curtis for his first competitive match in charge of Rangers – and he produced the goods in the Champions League qualifier
Curtis’ name was already being whispered in the corridors at Ibrox long before he made his first-team debut as a substitute in a Scottish Cup tie against Fraserburgh in January.
After the soccer schools came involvement with underage sides. A place at Boclair Academy, the club’s partner school for elite youth players, allowed him to combine academic studies with football.
He signed his first pro contract at 16, featuring for the under 18s and then the B Team in the cut-and-thrust of the Lowland League.
Initially a striker, he experimented with moving out to the left flank two years ago and immediately looked more at home.
While Philippe Clement claimed he liked what he saw, Curtis’ big chance took a while to materialise.
He wasn’t involved on match days in the weeks prior to making his debut in the cup at the turn of the year, but set tongues wagging that day with a clever assist for Cyriel Dessers.
He got further cameos at Old Trafford in Europe, at Tynecastle and against Hibs at Ibrox. His first start came at Pittodrie under Barry Ferguson, but the wind of change that blew through the club brought uncertainty.
Under pressure to hit the ground running, Russell Martin wouldn’t have been the first manager to pay lip service to playing academy graduates. His commitment became evident, though, when he named his side to face the Greeks.
‘I found out I was starting on Monday morning,’ Curtis revealed. ‘The manager named the team. I was speechless.
‘I texted my mum and dad, told them and they started crying.
‘It was a good family moment. They drove me for 12 years down to Murray Park, down to Ibrox. All that credit goes to them.’
Exactly a year ago, Findlay had been preparing to face Bo’ness United in the Challenge Cup with the second 11.
Even for a ‘cool cat’ – as former Rangers’ winger Neil McCann describes him – being thrust into a Champions League qualifier on the first night of his manager’s reign took some digesting.
‘My mum came through to me and said: “You need to get some sleep”,’ he recalled of the night before the game.
‘I was excited, so I didn’t get much, but when I woke up on Tuesday morning, it was awesome.’
Martin had warned that his first night at the office as manager would not be plain sailing, and he wasn’t wrong.
With the notable exception of Jack Butland, Rangers were poor in the first half. There were heavy touches and bad decisions everywhere you looked.
Unable to piece meaningful moves together, Danilo was starved of opportunities in the box. Had the visitors been two goals ahead at the break, there could have been no complaints.
Like most players in the home ranks, Findlay traipsed back up the tunnel with much to consider.
‘Obviously Panathinaikos are a great side,’ he reflected.
‘I spoke with Nico (Raskin) and Joe (Rothwell) and they just said: “Calm yourself”.
‘The manager came to me at half-time and said: “You’re being positive, but just be more positive”.
‘There were obviously some sloppy moments from me, which I take full responsibility for. I think it was just about passing the ball and taking touches on the ball. Knowing when to release, knowing when to dribble.’
Football matches are decided by big moments at both ends of the pitch. Curtis had mentally reset himself and, shortly after Butland made another heroic stop at the outset of the second half, the teenager took the responsibility of changing the entire feel of the evening.
Fed by Raskin, he cut in from the left, progressed and awaited his moment. The slice of luck he earned with a slight deflection was due reward for his tenacity.
‘I was speechless,’ he recalled of his first senior competitive goal. ‘I think the first touch was the best part about it. Taking that touch, skinning the defender and putting it in the corner. That gave me the confidence boost to take the defenders on.’
He wasn’t finished there. Having shown Giorgos Vagiannidis a clean pair of heels on that occasion, he repeated the trick. The Greek collected a second booking.
Further punishment would follow when Djeidi Gassama climbed off the bench and exploited the area which had just been vacated to score a crucial second goal.
‘The one for the red card, I took a touch inside,’ Findlay recalled. ‘I think that confidence boost comes from just doing the right things and having the right habits.’
He’s been learning those since he first arrived at the summer school in 2012 – and will try to continue to soak up information like a sponge.
It’s been some time since Rangers had a poster boy for their academy. Now that talent has met opportunity, it looks like a new star has been born. Those sleepless nights might soon be experienced by the direct opponents who lie in wait.
‘Obviously football is a difficult sport,’ Curtis offered. ‘It’s about pushing people out of the way. I’m here to do that. There’s a lot of competition in that dressing room, so I’ll work my hardest to start games.
‘My goal is to bring what the fans want. I want to try to win every game. I hope to start more games coming up in this season.
‘It’s down to the manager. Whoever the manager picks to start games, whether it’s Saturday or the (second) game against Panathinaikos, I’ll just work my hardest, tune in and hopefully perform.
‘I’ve been here (first-team) since two pre-seasons ago now. The jump was hard at first, 17 years old and jumping from the under-18s through to the B-team straight into the first team. It was a big jump, but I think I’ve dealt with it well.
‘Now, this pre-season, I think what I’ve come back and done is also bring that energy and bring that ability to play football. I hope the manager is liking what I’m producing and hopefully it just spurs me on.’
