Kenny McLean's former coach David Longwell says Rangers made a mistake in letting the midfielder leave Ibrox as a youth.
The Norwich City star has this week been linked with a return to the club he supports, with Steven Gerrard reportedly eyeing a January move for the Scotland hero.
But Longwell, who was head of academy at St Mirren when McLean was cut by Rangers in 2008, says McLean's success down south and his impact with Scotland, helping them reach the Euros last week, proves he always had the quality to make it at the top level.
And he insists McLean's strength of character is now there for all to see, having never let his head drop after being axed by the Glasgow giants as a 16-year-old.
Longwell told Lanarkshire Live Sport : “Some players take a knock when they are released by the Old Firm and can fall out of the game.
“I think Kenny just got on with it and said it is what it is.
“We signed him when he was released by Rangers, and I guess if you look back now it’s been a mistake on their part, because he hadn’t developed physically yet.
“When he was brought to us we were more focussing on bringing in technically good players.
“At these levels sometimes they are looking for bigger and stronger players, but he was just a kid.
"I don’t think it knocked him personally and he had a belief that even if it didn’t work for him there he would make it.
“He’s got that quality that means he was always going to progress.
“You could tell back then he was going to go on and play at a high level."
After six years in Paisley, McLean earned a move to Aberdeen before a big money move down south to the Canaries.
It was there that his national career really kicked off after helping Norwich win promotion to the English Premier League in the 2018/19 season.
They only spent one season back in England's top flight, but Longwell is shocked it took so long for his talents to be recognised outside of Scotland.
“I think he probably could have gone to England before he did, maybe before he moved to Aberdeen," he said.
“I’m really surprised nobody picked him up before Norwich, and even when he first got in the Scotland squad people were questioning it.
"He has kind of gone under the radar.
“It just shows you they were wrong.
"I think he could still be playing in the Premier League quite comfortably, but it’s great to see how well he has been progressing.”
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