Robbie Ure has been living life in the fast lane and is now relishing the chance to make his international debut
Robbie Ure comes up against Barcelona
Robbie Ure comes up against Barcelona(Image: Jose Luis Contreras/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)
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Life appears to be moving at quite the pace for Robbie Ure, writes Andy Newport in La Manga.
In the last six weeks alone, the 22-year-old has swapped Sweden for Sevilla, faced up to a list of World Cup -winning superstars and suddenly emerged as the great new striking hope for Scotland.
But if you ask the kid himself, the journey that has taken him from the fringes of the Rangers first-team to now being a starter in La Liga and a major contender to feature on Saturday for Sebastien Pocognoli’s new-look national team goes back a lot further than that.
It was three years ago that the highly-rated Ibrox academy prospect knocked back a new Gers contract despite having announced himself to the Light Blue legions with a goal on his top-team debut against Queen of the South.
The then-teenager had come to the conclusion he wouldn’t be tested enough in the way he needed to be by playing with Rangers’ B team in the Lowland League.
That was the thinking behind his move to Brussels to play for Anderlecht’s second string, who were operating at a higher standard in Belgium’s second tier.
And having brushed up on the areas that needed improving, he was unleashed on the Swedish top flight after joining IK Sirius, wreaking havoc in Scandinavia with 30 goals in just 51 games.
It was that impressive strike rate that earned him his big chance in Spain with Sevilla as part of a deal that could eventually earn his old side as much as £7.8million.
And as his dizzying rise continued, last week he found himself starting against a Barcelona side containing four of Spain’s victorious world champions.
Now he’s hoping his remarkable rise will carry on this weekend as he bids to win his first cap when Pocognoli kicks off his Scotland reign against opening Nations League opponents Slovenia.
But while things are coming at him fast, this cool and considered young man is taking it all in his stride.
“If I look back six weeks ago, I was still in Sweden,” said Ure. “So this is all something that I want to just try and enjoy as much as I can. I need to be patient as well, because I know that these things will take time.
Robbie Ure and Luis Binks training with Scotland
Robbie Ure and Luis Binks training with Scotland(Image: SNS Group)
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“If you take last weekend’s game against Barcelona, looking around and seeing World Cup winners everywhere was quite exciting. But I just need to be patient. Enjoy these moments playing against these players and enjoy the camp here and being around everyone as well.
“I'm putting no pressure on myself and I'm just trying to enjoy it. My story almost seems like it's just come about in the last couple of months, but it started maybe three years ago. For me, it's probably a bit longer than it probably looks.
“It's probably a bit unconventional for a Scottish player going to Belgium, Sweden and now Spain. I've enjoyed it. It's something that I had to do. If I didn't make those steps, I probably wouldn't be in the position I am now.”
Rangers wanted Ure to stay, and then boss Gio van Bronckhorst had already started to drip-feed him minutes here and there. But it speaks volumes about the youngster’s ambition levels that he knew staying at Ibrox wouldn’t be enough to get him to where he aimed to be.
“It was difficult,” he recalled. “Obviously, growing up there, Rangers was all I ever knew. I was quite young, so I hadn't had many of these uncomfortable conversations.
“But it was something that I knew I had to do. I wasn't going to be convinced otherwise. I spoke to Craig Mulholland [then Gers academy chief] a couple of times. Every time he would ask me what I'm thinking, it would be the same response, that I wanted to go and look elsewhere.
“So I went to Anderlecht. That's probably when I first started to develop a lot, on the ball as well. After that, I went to Sweden, taking that step into a men's changing room, being able to play at a decent level week in, week out. These were the two biggest steps for me.
Robbie Ure was a revelation in Sweden
Robbie Ure was a revelation in Sweden(Image: Anna Hållams/TT/Shutterstock)
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“Of course, coming through at Rangers was also important. But I think in terms of getting me to this position, it was those two steps. I remember I played a couple of games for Rangers. It was five minutes here, five minutes there towards the end of the year.
“But I knew myself I wasn't good enough at the time to play for Rangers. The alternative option at that time would be to play another year in the Lowland League or maybe go on a loan to League One in Scotland.
“So it was nothing to do with me thinking that I deserved to be in the first team, because I knew myself that I probably wasn't good enough to play at the time.
“It was more about me needing a level where I knew it was challenging enough that I could continue to develop. And I didn't think Rangers could offer me that. That's when I knew I had to probably go somewhere else.”
Ure’s game has grown and grown and he’s now reached a level where he’s competing against some of the biggest names on the planet. Last week, it was Ballon d’Or contender Lamine Yamal; next month, he’ll be up against Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid.
“I definitely feel like I'm growing within each day and growing in the games as well,” he said. "I've already said I need to be patient.
“It's the same with Sevilla. Everything is new and different. New coaches, new teammates, new atmospheres, new lifestyles, so I need to be patient. Do I feel comfortable in that kind of company? Yeah. I think that will come with the more times I do it.
“Before the Barcelona game I wasn't nervous. I was excited to play in front of an amazing crowd and in front of our fans. These things are something that's really important, especially for a striker.
“I do think that I can definitely get to the level. But, as I said, it's work that I need to put in every day to get there.”