Ross McCausland
{{Short description|Northern Irish footballer (born 2003)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ross McCausland
| image = Ross McCausland 2023 (cropped).jpg
| caption = McCausland playing for Rangers in 2023
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|5|12|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Antrim, Northern Ireland
| height = 1.70mhttps://www.irishfa.com/ifa-international/squads/northern-ireland-senior-men/ross-mccausland
| position = {{ublist|Forward|Right Midfielder}}
| currentclub = Rangers
| clubnumber = 45
| youthyears1 = 2018
| youthclubs1 = County Antrim
| youthyears2 = 2018–2019
| youthclubs2 = Linfield
| youthclubs3 = Rangers
| youthyears3 = 2019–2023
| years1 = 2022–
| clubs1 = Rangers
| caps1 = 43
| goals1 = 3
| nationalyears1 = 2018
| nationalteam1 = Northern Ireland U16
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018–2019
| nationalteam2 = Northern Ireland U17
| nationalcaps2 = 7
| nationalgoals2 = 2
| nationalyears3 = 2021
| nationalteam3 = Northern Ireland U19
| nationalcaps3 = 4
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2022–
| nationalteam4 = Northern Ireland U21
| nationalcaps4 = 3
| nationalgoals4 = 0
| nationalyears5 = 2023–
| nationalteam5 = Northern Ireland
| nationalcaps5 = 4
| nationalgoals5 = 0
| club-update = 22:14, 16 March 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 21:38, 05 September 2024 (UTC)
}}
Ross McCausland (born 12 May 2003) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays for {{Scottish football updater|Rangers}} club Rangers and the Northern Ireland national team.
Club career
McCausland joined the Rangers Academy from Northern Irish side Linfield in the summer of 2019 for £60,000.{{cite news | url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/four-players-join-academy/ | title=Four Players Join Academy | publisher=Rangers Football Club | work=Rangers.co.uk | date=31 August 2019 }}{{cite news | url=https://www.footballscotland.co.uk/spfl/scottish-premiership/ross-mccausland-set-rangers-contract-28049344 | title=Ross McCausland set for Rangers contract talks in bid to fend off transfer interest | publisher=Football Scotland |date =5 November 2023 | accessdate=9 November 2023}} In 2021, he signed a contract extension with the club running until 2024.{{Cite news | url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/ross-mccausland-signs-contract-extension/RecFmlZXqdq0ynVx60ALw| work=Rangers.co.uk | publisher=Rangers Football Club| date=27 September 2021| title=ROSS MCCAUSLAND SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION }}
Having been selected regularly for the club's B-team in the 2021–22 season (featuring in the UEFA Youth League as well as the Lowland League and Challenge Cup), McCausland made his first team debut for Rangers on 14 May 2022, replacing Amad as a 61st-minute substitute during a 3–1 win over Heart of Midlothian; he set up fellow debutant Cole McKinnon for his first goal.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61360062 | title=Heart of Midlothian 1-3 Rangers | work=BBC Sport | publisher=BBC | date=14 May 2022 | access-date=14 May 2022 }} He continued to be a B-team player during the 2022–23 season and made only one senior appearance, being used as a late substitute by manager Michael Beale in a league match away to Hibernian on 21 May 2023.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65586920 | title=Hibernian 1-3 Rangers | work=BBC Sport | date=21 May 2023 }}
After the sacking of Beale during the 2023–24 season, McCausland started to get a run of games under interim manager Steven Davis and then the new permanent manager Philippe Clement. On 5 October 2023, he made his first appearance against Cypriot side Aris Limassol in the UEFA Europa League, coming on as an 84th minute substitute for Scott Wright.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66929464 | title=Aris Limassol 2-1 Rangers | work=BBC Sport | date=5 October 2023 }}
McCausland impressed supporters with his performance off the bench against Hearts in October 2023; he was denied a first Rangers goal in a victory over Livingston in a Scottish Premiership fixture, with the strike ruled out for a foul by Abdallah Sima in the build-up.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67324985 | title=Livingston 0-2 Rangers | work=BBC Sport | first=George | last=O'Neill | date=12 November 2023 }}
McCausland signed a new four-year contract with Rangers on 28 November 2023 and was promoted to the first-team squad permanently.{{Cite news|url=https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/ross-mccausland-signs-new-rangers-contract/7hWvAOaKT0cCAlv9gbYzy7|title=Ross McCausland signs new Rangers contract|work=Rangers FC|publisher=rangers.co.uk|date=28 November 2023}} Two days later he celebrated with a first goal for the club against Aris Limassol, after coming in as a first half substitute for Todd Cantwell.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67515252 | title=Rangers 1-1 Aris Limassol | work=BBC Sport | first=Andy | last=Campbell| date=30 November 2023 }} On 17 December, McCausland started in the Scottish League Cup final against Aberdeen, and won his first trophy when Rangers captain James Tavernier scored the only goal of the match.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/67684521|title=Rangers 1-0 Aberdeen|website=BBC|date=17 December 2023|accessdate=17 December 2023}}
McCausland scored his first Premiership goal against Kilmarnock on 2 January 2024, but a run of starting appearances ended when he was injured by a tackle from Motherwell defender Dan Casey on 2 March, causing him to miss several fixtures; when he returned to fitness he was again among the substitutes. He was nominated for the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award,{{cite web |url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/pfa-scotland-wonderkids-can-be-2034-world-cup-stars-as-young-player-award-marks-10-years-since-andy-robertson-4616451 |title=PFA Scotland wonderkids can be 2034 World Cup stars as young player award marks 10 years since Andy Robertson |publisher=The Scotsman|author =Alan Pattullo|date=4 May 2024 |access-date=12 May 2024}} but lost out to David Watson of Kilmarnock.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c1vw9w7rpn0o |title=Lawrence Shankland, David Watson & Rangers trio win PFA awards |website=BBC Sport |date=5 May 2024 |access-date=12 May 2024}}
McCausland scored his first goal of the season 2024-25 against St Johnstone in the Scottish League Cup, with the assist coming from team mate Cyriel Dessers.{{Cite news |title=Rangers vs St Johnstone |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cgjv57g9nndt |access-date= |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}
International career
McCausland played regularly for Northern Ireland as a youth internationalist. On 14 November 2023, he received his first call-up to the Northern Ireland senior team for a round of UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches.{{cite web | url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/international/ross-mccausland-receives-first-northern-ireland-call-up-for-euro-double-header/a1622153782.html | title=Ross McCausland receives first Northern Ireland call-up for Euro double-header | work=Belfast Telegraph | date=14 November 2023 }} Three days later he made his debut against Finland, starting in a 4–0 defeat.{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67376194 | title=Finland 4-0 Northern Ireland | work=BBC Sport | date=17 November 2023 }}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 16 March 2025}}{{Soccerway|id=ross-mccausland/578190|name=Ross McCausland|access-date=}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5"|Rangers B
|2019–20{{soccerbase season|129304|2019|accessdate=28 December 2022}} |— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|name=SCC|Appearance(s) in Scottish Challenge Cup}} | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22{{soccerbase season|129304|2021|accessdate=28 December 2022}}
|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3{{efn|name=SCC}} | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2022–23{{soccerbase season|129304|2022|accessdate=26 May 2023}}
|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3{{efn|name=SCC}} | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||
| 2023–24{{soccerbase season|129304|2023|accessdate=26 May 2023}}
|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3{{efn|name=SCC}} | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||10||1||10||1 | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="5"|Rangers
|1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23
|Scottish Premiership |1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24
|Scottish Premiership |29 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5{{efn|name=UEL|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 1 | colspan="2" |— | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2024–25
|Scottish Premiership |12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8{{efn|Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 23 | 3 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!43||3||5||1||3||1||13||2|| colspan="2" |—||64||7 | ||||||||||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!43 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 74 | 8 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
Rangers
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerbase|129304}}
{{Rangers F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCausland, Ross}}
Category:Association footballers from County Antrim
Category:Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland
Category:21st-century sportsmen from Northern Ireland
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Lowland Football League players
Category:Scottish Professional Football League players
Category:Linfield F.C. players
Category:Northern Ireland men's youth international footballers
Category:Northern Ireland men's under-21 international footballers