Ex-Rangers & Falkirk ace Russell Latapy reckons Scottish football will benefit from rearing its own
By Mark Guidi (Daily Record)RUSSELL LATAPY was one of the many foreigners who invaded the Scottish game when our clubs had a bit of cash to splash.
The tricky Trinidad and Tobago star provided plenty of value for money as he turned on the style for Hibs, Rangers and Falkirk.
But with most teams now facing financial difficulties the days of bringing in stars such as a Latapy appear to be over.
The upside of that economic downturn is foreign duds are no longer milking our game dry and Latapy is pleased to see young Scottish players getting their chance to progress.
The 44-year-old said: “The reality for football is the global economic crisis must touch the game as well.
“The money that was there for clubs 15 years ago isn’t there for most of them any more.
“Smaller ones like Falkirk don’t have the financial power to go out and buy players. Not that they ever could make massive signings but even wages for Bosmans are a problem now.
“The positive side is kids now have an opportunity they weren’t afforded before. I saw Steven Pressley saying the average age of his Falkirk team last weekend was 19.
“Clubs used to have a lot of talent coming through their academies but they wouldn’t be given a chance in the first team and would need to go somewhere else.
“Now those kids will be picked and hopefully that will raise the level of the national team.
“When I was at Falkirk under John Hughes that process had started with Darren Barr and Scott Arfield. So I’m glad it has continued.”
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