Billy Gilmour’s stunning performance v France will leave Rangers fans jealous

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Scotland’s under-21s put in an excellent performance yesterday to stun host nation France at the Toulon Youth Festival. West Brom winger Oliver Burke scored the only goal of the game as the Scots picked up a 1-0 win.

But the young man making many of the headlines for Scotland after the win was Chelsea midfielder, Billy Gilmour.

The teenager put in a brilliant display in the heart of the Scotland midfield. Considering he was up against the likes of Jeando Fuchs, Ludovic Blas and Jessy Deminguet it was all the more impressive. The France trio are all 20-years-old, vastly more physically developed than Gilmour and have all been regulars for their respective clubs Sochaux, Guingamp and Caen this season.

For Rangers fans, seeing Gilmour put in such an incredible performance would have been a bitter pill to swallow.

Gilmour is from Glasgow and came through the academy at Ibrox. At the tender age of 15, he was already training with the first-team and being compared to Cesc Fabregas. But, in the summer of 2017, he rejected a professional deal in Glasgow and joined the Spaniard at Chelsea.

Rangers fans were devastated that they had lost perhaps the best young talent to come through their academy in a generation. Gilmour had all the tools to become a star in Scottish football but felt his game would improve if he made the move to London.

Rangers fans will have to admit that looked the case against France.

His performance against regular first-team midfielders four years his age showed just why Chelsea wanted to lure him away from Glasgow. Whilst many Rangers fans are still disappointed that Gilmour left, many are at least pleased he appears to be progressing in the English capital.

Undoubtedly, new Rangers boss Steven Gerrard would have loved the opportunity to work with the teenager. The future for Gilmour at Ibrox was one which saw a team built around him.

But based on his performance in the south of France yesterday, he is coming along just fine in England.

Rangers, however, will not suspend their jealousy.