It appears to be the end of the Rangers road for third-choice goalkeeper Robby McCrorie after manager Michael Beale confirmed Jon McLaughlin is once again first choice alongside Allan McGregor, leaving no space for the third-choice.

24-year old McCrorie, who has waited on his chance patiently for a number of years now, recently signed a new two-year extension, presumably under the promise that the first team wasn’t far away, but after Beale extolled 35-year old McLaughlin and 40-year old McGregor as his first picks the understudy’s chances looked close to zero.

Allan McGregor, of course, famously cracked the first team at the same age, after howler after howler from Lionel Letizi in 2006 forced Paul Le Guen to give the-then youngster the shirt, and he never looked back, but today it doesn’t seem like McCrorie is to be afforded the same privilege.

At least not yet?

If Beale is not happy to even use him sparingly, and will prefer a stopper fans generally aren’t in favour of in the form of McLaughlin, it would suggest the former Livi loan keeper probably has no chance at Rangers and likely never will.

It’s a shame, because his one major senior performance, v Celtic, was extremely impressive and showed all the promise in the world. His senior in McLaughlin was hapless against the same opposition.

It is what it is, and Michael Beale appears to have made his choice, and that’s between McLaughlin and McGregor, and McCrorie either just has to keep on waiting and waiting at Rangers, or find a new club.

In fairness Man Utd were interested in him in the summer, before he signed his new deal, but he may be waiting a long time before Rangers are interested in him.

Which is a pity.