The Rangers sure sign that Ross McCausland is real deal as Northern Ireland boss raves about his inspiration

Michael O'Neill admits it's taken him by surprise but it's music to his ears to see McCausland playing every week.

Ross McCausland's explosion onto the Rangers first-team scene struck Michael O'Neill like a bolt from the blue. But the Northern Ireland boss can't get enough of it - and reckons he's an inspiration to his international peers.

Since making his first start in Steven Davis' interim tenure, McCausland has gone from strength to strength at Ibrox and is now a regular starter under Philippe Clement. He's made 25 appearances in total, scoring twice and assisting four, earning himself a shiny new long-term contract in the process.

Not only that, his Ibrox emergence has catapulted him straight into the international picture and he made his Northern Ireland debut from the start in a Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to Finland in November. And more could follow - should he keep his form up, he could run out at Hampden when Northern Ireland face Scotland in late March.

International boss O'Neill admits it's taken him by surprise and he didn't expect to see the 20-year-old get so many chances this early in his career. But it's music to his ears, and he's urged the other youngsters in contention to follow his example.

O'Neill told the Belfast Telegraph: “Ross has done extremely well. He has held down a place consistently despite big competition at Rangers with their form being so good. They have picked up results and a lot of points with the new manager Philippe Clement and clearly he is a fan of Ross because he plays him in basically every game.

“What’s also good is that he plays him for 90 minutes a lot of the time which for a wide player is not always the case. I think Ross has developed a lot in the last two to three months and hopefully he brings that form and that consistency on to the international stage.

“I think a young player like Ross needs an opportunity. It didn’t look like he was going to get that opportunity at Rangers. Then it came a little bit out of the blue and Steven (Davis) helped him in that respect when he was interim manager and in for two games. That gave Ross a breakthrough and Philippe Clement kept him in the team subsequent to that.

“Every young player needs a break whether it is at club or international level and I think Ross is a great example to a lot of our young players because he grabbed it with both hands.”