Rangers legend Ally McCoist has admitted that he has been left baffled by some of Rangers and Celtic's recent dealings in the transfer market.
Rangers and Celtic moving away from Scottish talent?
Neither Rangers nor Celtic are able to boast the same level of Scottish talent as they used to be able to, despite Scotland's national team success. This season, Brendan Rodgers' Scottish Premiership side contains just two Scots on a regular basis, in the shape of fullback Greg Taylor and skipper Callum McGregor in a first choice XI, while the likes of James Forrest and Anthony Ralston have had bit-part roles.
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At Rangers, John Souttar is the only Scot to have racked up more than 15 starts in the Premiership, though injury has hampered Ryan Jack. While Philippe Clement's squad boasts eight Scotsmen, three are reserve goalkeepers with another (Alex Lowry) having spent the first half of the season out on loan at Hearts.
SPL minutes played by Scots at Rangers and Celtic
Player
Club
Minutes
Callum McGregor
Celtic
2485
Greg Taylor
Celtic
2546
John Souttar
Rangers
2027
Anthony Ralston
Celtic
788
Scott Wright
Rangers
611
Stephen Welsh
Celtic
429
Ryan Jack
Rangers
446
James Forrest
Celtic
365
Scott Bain
Celtic
150
Leon King
Rangers
9
McCoist questions Old Firm transfer policies
Now, Rangers icon Ally McCoist has accused both Rangers and Celtic of letting too much talent slip past them, and pointed specifically to a pair of stars now shining outside of Scotland. McCoist racked up over 400 league appearances for Rangers during a 14 year spell at Ibrox, grabbing 251 goals in the process, and spent all but two seasons of his career in the Scottish top flight.
Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of TalkSPORT BET, McCoist claimed he would never have let John McGinn leave Scotland, and pointed to Lewis Ferguson (who joined Bologna in the summer) as another who has slipped through the net.
"There's been a couple of players who have left Scotland that I think Rangers and Celtic will be absolutely kicking themselves with. I mean, John McGinn going to Aston Villa. And you know, Celtic, I dont care what anyone says, they'll regret that.
"For example, Lewis Ferguson going to Bologna. It baffles me how Rangers and Celtic never went in for him either."
It comes amid claims that Scottish talent has begun looking away from the SPL and towards the English leagues or abroad in a bid to get regular game time. And while McCoist admits the Scottish league is not as strong as it once was, he added that Celtic and Rangers in particular have to find better ways to get the most out of what is available.
"So I don't think there's any doubt, we can argue about is there as much talent as there once was in Scotland. We can argue about that all day but the fact that there is still talent in Scotland. I am not sure Rangers and Celtic are maximising that at this moment in time.
"There definitely is talent about you know, teams have good seasons, St Mirren have had a good season. Derek McInnes has done a fantastic job done at Kilmarnock, so I'm not sure, being honest with you, that Rangers or Celtic for that matter, have utilised the Scottish market just as well as they could have, and perhaps should have.
"History would tell me, certainly, it's worth the gamble [signing Scottish players]. If you're going to go and pay three, four or five million players from abroad, that's all very well. But if you're paying that kind of money, you need to be 110% sure that they're going to do you a turn.
"Sometimes players within Scotland know the Scottish game, know what Rangers and Celtic are all about, although they haven't played there yet. But they've got a fair idea idea what it's all about."