As the clock ticks towards the January transfer deadline, the future of Rangers youngster Alex Lowry remains unclear.

The 19-year-old has struggled for game time this term, largely due to a series of injuries stemming from the tail end of last season.

Michael Beale provided some intriguing insight into his position within the squad and why we haven’t seen more of him on the pitch during yesterday's press conference. 

“It’s hard to be a young player and get it,” the manager said.

“What does the academy prepare you for? The academy prepares you to be technically able and to have a good understanding of the game.

“When you go in the changing room with men, that’s a different thing. Everybody in this building is aware that, with the ball at his feet, he’s really talented.

“He’s got to tick a few other boxes. How do you tick them? You give him an opportunity on the park to tick them.

“I started him against Motherwell. I thought we saw the performance of a young boy with promise. He wasn’t 10 out of 10. He wasn’t 6 out of 10.

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“He was somewhere in between. It depends how closely you watched him. I was pleased with him.

“He had an injury afterwards. He has come back. I put him on at St Johnstone in a cup tie we had to win, at 1-0. And I took off Ryan Kent. If that’s not showing Alex Lowry that I believe in him… he knows clearly the areas I want him to work on.

“If he stays, he will still be given opportunities,” Beale continued. “If the right loan was to come, [given] our relationship, you’re guaranteed to be here pre-season to fight to play next season.

“If in the interim, we find the right loan and you really fancy it, OK no problem. But go and play to come back here. Don’t go to play there.

“If you’re going to stay in, you need to continue fighting and showing every day. It doesn’t matter if you’re the oldest player in the squad or the youngest, the team is the vehicle.

“It’s hard to ask a young boy at 19 to be a main player in our team straight away. He has the potential to be a really exciting one in the future.”

On a possible loan move, Beale added: “It doesn’t have to be here in Scotland. It can be further afield.

“It’s a matter of ‘is it the right option?’ If not, then the best option is for him to be here. All I’m saying is I wouldn’t rule it out. Nor would Alex.”

Beale’s comments are interesting and there are similarities to be drawn with Rangers’ new recruit Todd Cantwell.

Cantwell had just broken into the Norwich City side five years ago when he was sent out on loan to Dutch second-division outfit Fortuna Sittard.

Lowry is roughly the same age now as Cantwell was then and the similarities in playing style are obvious. 

Rangers Review: (Image: NQ)

Beale says Lowry will get opportunities to play should he stick around but brief cameos here and there is a less appealing option than the potential of consistent football.

Cantwell’s spell in the Netherlands was eventful as he played a major role in helping Fortuna reach the Eredivisie for the first time in 16 years. He even provided the assist for the winning goal that got them there.

It was a loan move that propelled Cantwell to become a player linked with multi-million pound transfers a short time later.

There's no reason why a similar deal can’t enhance Lowry's chances of breaking into the Rangers team and staying there. He clearly has talent but isn't yet a first-team regular. 

At a club as demanding as Rangers, there simply is no time to wait around and hope for an opportunity. Barring a raft of injuries, Lowry isn’t going to play as often as he would like between now and the end of the season, so it’s imperative he does so elsewhere.

The best chance the teenager has of making a name for himself at his beloved Rangers is by continuing his development at another club. It's not only the football you factor in, he will be living on his own which can only enable him to grow as a person.

It worked for Cantwell and it can certainly work for Lowry.