Barry Ferguson terrified me for all the right reasons and he’ll be a nailed-on success at Rangers with the right tools

Thomas Reilly was always terrified of letting him down while he played under Fergie at Kelty Hearts

Barry Ferguson's managerial apprenticeship didn’t go to plan.

But Thomas Reilly always thought his boyhood hero would be a nailed-on success once he was given the proper tools to be a boss.

The former St Mirren kid was signed by the now Ibrox caretaker gaffer when he was cutting his coaching teeth at Kelty Hearts.

It was a promising start for the former Rangers skipper as he constructed as side which lifted back-to-back Lowland League titles.

But a step up to League One with Alloa, didn’t last long as he struggled to get his part-time squad to get adjust to his full-time demands.

Those cracks in the foundations saw Ferguson axed after just 34 games in charge - a blow that appeared to have killed off hopes of operating at a higher level.

But Ferguson has now been given a second chance at management after being called back to Ibrox to replace Philippe Clement on an interim basis.

So far, it’s going well with five wins out of six - including big victories over Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce and Old Firm foes Celtic.

It remains to be seen if Fergie can nail down the job permanently but the one thing lifelong Rangers fan Reilly isn’t surprised by is his old boss getting a reaction out of a side operating at the level he once did during his days as Gers’ master midfield craftsman.

The former Forfar and Elgin midfielder said: “Fergie was the one who signed me from Forfar. I remember getting the call to say he wanted a chat. I couldn’t believe it!

“He was my hero growing up so meeting him was mad. But from that first introduction it was evident why he'd been such a good leader and captain.

“Even though I was stepping down a level to the Lowland League, he made it clear I wouldn’t be going there for a jolly or to pick up a few quid.

“I’d been nominated for League Two player of the year when I was at Elgin but even though I was stepping down a division, it felt like a step up in terms of the levels expected of you.

“Regardless if it was training or a game, he’d never let you take a foot off the gas. The demands were something I'd never seen before, even in full-time football.

“We were part-time players, coming in after a day’s work to train, but he’d be making full-time demands of us.

“Obviously that was hard for some people to cope with. That's why I always thought full-time would suit him more.

“He’d gone to Clyde and Kelty because he felt it was important to do his managerial apprenticeship.

“Obviously it never worked out for him at Alloa but he’s had a fantastic start at Ibrox."

It was Fergie who led Kelty into the senior SPFL ranks for the first time in the club’s history when his side edged past Brechin in their 2021 promotion play-off clash.

But he didn’t hang about to enjoy the moment, resigning the following day as he made his move to Alloa.

His eagerness to step up the divisions came as no surprise to Reilly.

“I could hear Barry in team-talks telling players to do things that they’ll admit themselves they weren’t capable of doing,” he said.

“That’s why I think he’s better suited to a higher level. If he tells Nico Raskin to do something, there’s a better chance he’ll manage it than I ever could!

“I played in Barry’s position, central midfield, so he was always in my ear.

“I remember coming into training on a Tuesday night after we'd won a game 6-0. He said: ‘Have you watched the game back? You gave it away twice at the weekend!”

“I was thinking, ‘Twice? That's not bad for me!’ But he wasn't happy with that, he expected better.

“I was terrified working with him! Not scared of him physically - but scared of letting him down because I knew how much he put into it.

“Without being disrespectful, it was only Kelty - miles away from the level he’d played at.

“But he wanted us treated like proper players. Whether it be your recovery, your ice bathes, the facilities round the place, he made sure we were catered for and had no excuses.”

Jack Butland admitted last week that a few of the Rangers squad had been shocked by the caretaker gaffer’s hairdryer routine - something Reilly has experienced himself.

“I've seen Barry go off his nut a few times, that could even be after victories!

“It wasn't that he was always angry, he was just aggressive in the way he put across his message.

“But he could kick off if he thought we were weren’t doing well enough. I remember a couple of occasions he let rip because we were DRAWING at half-time!

“But those were rare as 95 percent of the time we were winning at Kelty.

“To me, it looked like he was having a go to keep us on our toes.”

Ferguson’s motivational methods were certainly needed as he demanded a reaction when Gers fell 2-0 down to Dundee before coming back to win Saturday’s seven-goal thriller.

But Reilly - now an Ibrox season-ticket holder - reckons his old boss has shown he’s more than just a ranter and a raver after claiming the scalps of both Mourinho and Brendan Rodgers.

He said: “It seemed lot of people want Barry to fail so they could say, ‘I told you so…’ But he’s showing tactically he can adapt.

“Against Fenerbahce, he played James Tavernier in the back three but swapped him with Dujon Sterling back to the wing-back role for the win at Celtic Park because he realised that would be the best fit.

“He knows what the team's strengths are and where they can possibly get hurt, and I think that gave Rangers an edge at Parkhead.

“Who knows what will happen with the takeover or whether Barry even wants to stay on as boss - but he’s shown he can add something to the coaching staff in some capacity.”