The missed call that shows Rangers ace is not out of mind after loan switch

Ben Williamson can probably take it as a good sign that Rangers were so keen to hear about his Raith Rovers debut that he missed a call from his parent club before he had even left the stadium.

On-loan Rangers midfielder Ben Williamson made his Raith Rovers debut in the 0-0 draw with Dunfermline on Sunday. (Photo by Alan Rennie / SNS Group)

The 20-year-old was handed his first start in over two months in the Fife derby at Stark's Park after cutting short his initial season-long loan at Livingston in order to complete a switch to Kirkcaldy.

Williamson hadn't played since being sent off for a challenge on Dundee United's Declan Glass on October 27 and it was a lack of game-time that prompted his reroute to the Championship.

After completing 68 minutes in Sunday's goalless draw with Dunfermline, the Scotland Under-21 ace revealed he had already received contact from Billy Kirkwood at Rangers as he faced the press.

"He’s my loans manager and I’m always on the phone to him. I think I’ve actually just missed a call from him so I better phone him back!" Williamson said. "I’m always in touch with Billy and he’s telling me what the gaffer’s saying.

“I just need to do well here and hopefully the gaffer can see I’m good enough to play for him.

“It’s all done through the loans manager. Maybe if Covid wasn’t a thing I’d be in there more, but it’s all different just now."

Impressing Giovanni van Bronckhorst is top of Williamson's priorities at Raith, as well as helping John McGlynn's side mount a title push in the second half of the campaign.

“I want to get under the gaffer’s nose back at Rangers," he said. “I think playing here at Raith will do that, because it’s a good footballing side and I think that will help me.

“I just need to prove I’m good enough to play in the Premiership.

“At Livi, I didn’t really get the chance. I thought in the games I played I did alright.

“But I just need to get back into it and enjoy it."

Williamson is also targeting a place in Scot Gemmill's next Under-21 squad.

“As I’ve not been playing I need to get back into it and hopefully stay under Gemmill’s nose," he added.

“I think the next game’s away to Kazakhstan in March, so hopefully I can get picked for that and step up my game."

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