CHARLIE LINDSAY isn’t the first, and he won’t be the last, to make the journey from Belfast to Glasgow. One man who has completed that trip before him acts as his inspiration at Ibrox.

If the midfielder can enjoy a fraction of the success that Steven Davis has had in Light Blue, then the move from Glentoran will have proven to be more than worthwhile.

The coming seasons will determine if Lindsay, just 16-years-old, can live up to the expectation and fulfil the potential that Rangers see in him.

In Davis, the Northern Irishman has the perfect role model, a player and a person to look up to both on and off the park. Lindsay is determined to continue following in his footsteps.

“I’ve loved every single second of it since I joined Rangers,” Lindsay told rangers.co.uk.

“I’ve always been made to feel really welcome and from day one I have been told about the standards you have to have to be a successful Rangers player.

“It’s a huge club with a great history and it was a no-brainer for me to sign for Rangers and I have loved it.

“Players like Steven Davis have come from Northern Ireland and joined this club and I really look up to him

“He is the perfect example of a model professional footballer. He is captain of the international team and he has had a great career.

“Just the example he sets and the way he lives his life is inspiring. He is at the later stages of his career but you wouldn’t think it as he is so fit.

“He’s an athlete and plays every day as if he is 20. I really look up to him.

“He has shown that if you look after your body well and do the right things you can have a long and successful career at the top level. “He always works so hard and its brilliant to see.”

Lindsay may still be a relative unknown to the Ibrox crowd but his promise and reputation far exceed his tender years. He has already made quite an impact back home.

His maiden appearances for Rangers came in the Al Kass Cup earlier this year but he arrived in Glasgow with first team experience under his belt in the Irish Premiership.

Lindsay said: “Playing for Glentoran’s first-team at 15 was unbelievable. I was there from 7 years-old and progressed through the ranks.

“To get the chance to play for the first team at such a young age was brilliant and to be the youngest ever player to do it was mind-blowing.

“I’ve lived in East Belfast all my life so it was a really proud moment to make my debut for Glentoran. But now I am a Rangers player and I am so happy.

“Getting back playing properly again will be fantastic. I can’t wait for the season to start. I want to learn from the coaching staff and improve every day.

“The coaches here have been brilliant and they always put on really good sessions.

“They always explain in detail why they are doing things and there is always a really good method to the work.”

Having had his talent spotted by Rangers’ Irish scout Phil Cowen some time ago, Lindsay would put pen-to-paper on a three-year contract at Ibrox in the summer.

The chance to work with boss Steven Gerrard was, of course, a key selling point but it was the opportunities that lie ahead that really enticed Lindsay as he looks to quickly rise through the ranks.

“One of the main reasons I joined Rangers is because I could see a pathway to the first team,” he said.

“You can see players like Nathan Patterson have played for the first team and I would love to do the same in a few years.

“I am a very attack-minded player. I love getting the ball at my feet and turning and dribbling past players.

“I am quick and I like to score goals and create opportunities for my team mates. My first thought is always to get forward and I am not afraid on the pitch.

“I will always work hard and try and be the best player I possibly can. My family have seen me in a few games for Rangers and it makes them really proud.

“I feel like I am doing them proud but I know this is just the start and I have a long way to go.

“I just need to keep working hard. The boys have made me feel really welcome and I know the training centre well. It is all really falling into place and now it’s about hard work, dedication and try and be the best I can every single day.

“My short-term goals are to keep working hard and improving. I want to come in here every day and get better.

“I don’t want to settle for second best and I want to push myself as far as I can go.”

The ability and attitude that Lindsay clearly has will undoubtedly stand him in good stead as he looks to turn his Ibrox dreams into a reality.

The transition from Academy prospect to first team player is a notoriously difficult one to complete, especially at Rangers. It is a challenge Lindsay is fully prepared for.

He said: “Long-term I want to push myself into the Rangers first team and make an impact.

“I want to earn a shirt but I know that won’t happen without hard work and dedication.

“I need to be an athlete 24 hours a day to make it at the top and stay at the top.

“Rangers have looked after me brilliantly since the day I joined. They do so much for all the young players and they have made me feel at home and so welcome.

“It has been the perfect move for me. I’ve already had a taste of mixing with first-team players and it was really good to get a taste of the action with the B team when we played Dundee Utd recently.

“It was great to mix with a really high standard of players. I could get glimpses of exactly what the first-team players do and how hard they work on and off the pitch.

“It’s a great learning curve.

“And of course I loved every second of the Al Kass tournament earlier this year. It was a brilliant experience and I learned so much from it.

“Playing against different teams with different styles of play was a really steep learning curve but it was so beneficial.

“It’s all about hard work and dedication now for me and I want to learn and improve as much as I can every single day.”