---
title: "Glasgow Rangers: McAvennie slams Gers for handling of Billy Gilmour"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/glasgow-rangers-gilmour-handling-slammed/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "jonathan radcliffe"
section: "Features"
published: "2020-08-27T19:00:26Z"
modified: "2020-08-27T19:00:26Z"
---

# Glasgow Rangers: McAvennie slams Gers for handling of Billy Gilmour

**Frank McAvennie has slammed Glasgow Rangers’ handling of Billy Gilmour.**

Last Sunday, Nathan Patterson made his [Premiership debut](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/nathan-patterson/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/424015), and that led to praise from Michael Beale, who even compared him to Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander Arnold (Rangers TV [via Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-pundit-slates-rangers-for-mistreating-billy-gilmour-i-do-not-get-it/)). Patterson is highly-rated at Ibrox, and many will be hoping he does not follow in the footsteps of Gilmour, who joined Chelsea when he was just 15 years old.

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[Talking to Football Insider](https://www.footballinsider247.com/exclusive-pundit-slates-rangers-for-mistreating-billy-gilmour-i-do-not-get-it/), McAvennie clearly feels that the Gers must not repeat their Gilmour mistake with Patterson. He explained:

*“It has been a long time since we have seen an academy player make a big impact at Ibrox.*

*“Celtic have done it a few times with the likes of Forrest, McGregor and Tierney – a few have come through the ranks. It appears that they get given more of a chance at Celtic than Rangers.*

*“I am a great believer that if you are good enough you will make the team and Patterson is very close.*

*“I just do not understand why Rangers did not see what everyone else saw in Billy Gilmour. I do not get it. Can you imagine Gilmour at Rangers now? I am delighted he isn’t there!”\*

This is a bit of a silly comment from McAvennie – is not as if the 54-time Scottish champions did not try and keep the midfielder at the club. The manager at the time, Pedro Caixinha, [made it clear he wanted him to stay](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10818603/rangers-boss-pedro-caixinha-meets-billy-gilmour39s-parents-in-a-bid-to-get-him-to-stay-at-ibrox), whilst the club [confirmed](https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11668/10870337/billy-gilmour-completes-move-to-chelsea-from-rangers) the same in their statement following his departure from the club.

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The Blues paid just £500,000 for a player already valued at [£4.86m](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/billy-gilmour/marktwertverlauf/spieler/423744) by Transfermarkt at the age of just 19 years old – no doubt there will be many at Ibrox who will be unhappy that he departed so young. But it is wrong for McAvennie to blame the Gers for his departure – there is no doubt that they wanted him to stay north of the border.

***Let us know what you think below!***