Young Rangers midfielder Stephen Kelly has revealed that Barry Ferguson was always his Gers hero while growing up.

Ferguson, who rose through Rangers’ youth system, made his first team debut for the club in 1997.




The former midfielder helped Rangers to win three league titles, three Scottish Cups and three Scottish League Cups before leaving for Blackburn Rovers in 2003.

Ferguson returned to Rangers for his second spell at the club in 2005 and played a key role in the Light Blues winning two more league titles amongst other honours; he then left for Birmingham City in 2009.
 


And Kelly, who explained that Ferguson was always his boyhood Rangers idol, said that he tried to play like him when he was younger.

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“It was always Barry Ferguson”, Kelly told Rangers TV, when asked who was Gers hero while growing up.

“When I was younger, I tried to play like Barry.

“Watching Barry play has helped me a lot.”

Kelly, who himself is a product of Rangers’ youth set-up, went on to discuss his style of play.

“I’ve been playing on the sides and further up in the midfield”, he continued.

“But I played a bit deeper in the last few games.

“I like to get forward to create and score goals, but sometimes the deeper side of the game has to come in as well against better opposition.”

Kelly, who was promoted to Rangers Under-20s from the Under-17s in the summer, is yet to make his senior competitive debut for the Scottish giants.