With the transfer window set to close at midnight on Monday, Stuart McCall has captured the signature of Rangers' 20-year old midfielder Dean Furman on loan until January.

He was tagged as Paul Le Guen's first signing when he arrived at Murray Park on May 15 2006 but this was wide of the mark.

The Cape Town born youngster was, in fact, spotted by the club's youth department after scouts had given Dean glowing reports after watching him play for Chelsea's youth teams.

Rangers moved quickly to secure his services as a result and since then he has developed into an influential central midfielder.

Dean was the captain of the Gers' under-19 team that hammered Celtic 5-0 at Hampden in the SFA Youth Cup Final of May 2007 and was a key player throughout the title winning campaign.

Having helped to clinch a memorable double Furman was one of several players to move up from the under-19s to the Reserves at the start of the 2007/08 season in a bid to further his development and he has again thrived at this level.

Walter Smith had already spotted the teenager's undoubted potential and prior to the start of 2008 the affable South African was on the verge of breaking into the Gers' first-team.

Advertisement