Rangers: Lewis Macleod is top prospect, says Barry Ferguson

Lewis Macleod has scored eight goals for Rangers this season, including one in the recent win over Falkirk

Barry Ferguson rates Rangers midfielder Lewis Macleod as the top midfield talent to emerge in Scotland for years.

Macleod, 20, received his first Scotland call-up for the double header against the Republic of Ireland and England, having scored eight goals so far for the Ibrox outfit this season.

And Ferguson, who made his Scotland debut aged 20, has been impressed.

"I've seen quite a bit of him and think he's the brightest young prospect in Scotland for a long time," he said.

"Lewis will get better and better and just needs to keep working hard, but the coaches will make sure of that and he seems like a level-headed boy," Clyde manager Ferguson added.

"He excites me every time I see him playing."

When the 19-year-old Ferguson burst on to the scene at Rangers, he was quickly lauded as one of the top young central midfielders in the country.

He went on to captain the Ibrox club and Scotland, playing more than 250 games for Rangers and earning 45 caps.

Macleod's early career has followed a similar path.

He made his Rangers debut at the age of 18 and has established himself as a key player at Ibrox, although he has often been used wide in midfield.

Ferguson, however, is convinced Macleod will establish himself in his preferred role in the engine room.

"He will go on to become a top central midfielder," added the 36-year-old.

"I'd like to see him playing centrally and in time I think that will be his position. You can see he is developing physically as well, he is getting bigger."

Macleod was named the Scottish Professional Football League young player of the month for October on the back of his fine run of form.

He also netted in the Ibrox side's 4-0 weekend win over Falkirk.