The words of Philippe Clement meant a lot to Mason Munn after the Scottish Youth Cup final win over Aberdeen. The messages from Jack Butland before it ensured the goalkeeper played his part in the success at Hampden.
Munn was one of the standout performers for Steven Smith’s side as Rangers came from behind to lift the silverware on Wednesday evening. Timothy Akindileni flicked the ball beyond Munn to give Aberdeen the lead just after the hour but Rangers showed the character and reaction that Smith would have expected. Findlay Curtis levelled from the spot before Josh Gentles won it.
Munn was an impressive figure throughout and a late save to deny Alfie Bavidge was the pick of the bunch. The supporters that tuned in would surely have been impressed with his efforts, and they also need no reminding about the importance of having a game-changing presence between the sticks.
Mason Munn with an INCREDIBLE save! 🧤
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) May 1, 2024
Into the final few minutes in the Youth Cup final.
Watch live @BBCScotland 📺#BBCFootball #ScottishYouthCup pic.twitter.com/44SnYgY7FU
Butland has been such a huge figure for Rangers over the course of the campaign, leading by example with his words and his performances during the bid to secure all three domestic trophies. Behind the scenes at Auchenhowie, the former Three Lions international has been a mentor to a keeper who has a burgeoning reputation for club and country.
“Jack Butland has played at the pinnacle - Premier League football, played for England,” Munn said. “So learning off him is massive. Every day when I get the opportunity to train with him, it's massive. When I get the opportunity, I try to take it when I can. And snippets from him helps. His advice is more about staying humble and keep working hard.
READ MORE: Steven Smith on Clement's best trait, David Weir advice and making Hampden history
"If you have the ability it will come through, so it's more off the pitch than on the pitch. You don't realise how much goes in the strength stuff and training sessions. Rangers is all about winning so this is just the start of the journey for me hopefully.
"I have a big summer because Northern Ireland are hosting the Under 19s Euros. So there will be big crowds for us on home soil. I am looking forward to it."
Butland has been a source of inspiration for Munn over the course of the campaign. The win over the Dons was undoubtedly the highlight of the season so far for Smith’s side as the former Ibrox left-back helps the next generation on their journey in the game.
Steven Smith tells us post-match that Philippe Clement went down to the dressing room to speak to his squad after Rangers' Youth Cup win.
— Joshua Barrie (@JoshuaBarrieRR) May 1, 2024
"Credit to him for that, it tells us a lot about the man he is."https://t.co/egUbS1lAvE
In time, that could lead to a place within Clement’s first team squad. The fact that the Belgian was in attendance at Hampden spoke volumes as he gave his support to the Under-18s. Once the final whistle had blown, Clement made his way to the dressing room to personally congratulate them.
“Big moments in big games - that's what makes the best players in the world,” Munn said. “I am obviously staying humble and trying hard not to get ahead of myself. The best save was probably the one from Alfie Bavidge at the end just because of the timing of it.
“Obviously, it's very, very nice of [the manager] to come in and it was a bit of a shock when he came in. But obviously, it was a big privilege for us that he came on. He just told us we played very well in the first half and we showed good resilience in the second half to get back into the game. When you go 1-0 down in the Final, it's very, very tough. But we did very, very well to get back. And probably overall in the 90 minutes we probably just about deserved it.”
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