Findlay Curtis turns Rangers dream into reality as Russell Martin's running man understands the assignment
His body was telling him he had nothing left in the tank.
With just a minute to go at Ibrox on Sunday, young Findlay Curtis was the only Rangers player going to last the full 90.
No-one could have said he hadn't put a shift in against Club Brugge. And in Russell Martin's first friendly, the kid had impressed his new gaffer.
So when Nedim Bajrami broke through on goal, it would have been easy for Curtis just to let the Albanian get on with it.
After all, a few minutes before, he was struggling to WALK as his legs cramped up. But his head told him there was one last, lung-bursting sprint left in him.
Somehow, he summoned up the energy, not just to get in the box and offer himself to Bajrami. But to collect a pass, compose himself and produce a clinical finish beyond the Brugge keeper for a goal that earned Martin and Rangers a 2-2 draw.
And in doing so, Curtis turned a dream of scoring for his boyhood club at Ibrox into reality.
The 18-year-old will have had worse Sunday afternoons. The bounce game against Brugge might not matter too much in the grand scheme of things.
But for Curtis it could be vital as he tries to make a lasting impression on his manager that - amidst an influx of new players - keeps him in Rangers' first-team squad for the foreseeable future.
He's not the finished article, by any stretch. But when Martin arrived in Glasgow this summer, he revealed his first non-negotiable as a boss was that players had to run.
Judging by Sunday's display, Curtis will do that all day for him. That's why he was the only sweat-filled blue shirt to play the entire game.
And the youngster's resilience late on - as well as a tidy finish - will have pleased his manager no-end. Afterwards, Curtis could barely wipe the smile off his face.
As he reflected on his performance, he said: 'I was buzzing with the goal, it's a dream come true for me to score at Ibrox.
'Nedim played the ball through to me and we'd been working on that for a full week.
'So I was just delighted that he set me up to score a goal.
'I just saw Nedim running and I thought, let's put the burners on and hopefully score, which I did.
'It was a sloppy start from us in the first half but the boys who came on in the second half brought a real energy - that's what the manager wanted.
'It was great to get the goal after a good second half performance.
'It's been intense under the gaffer. He wants us to do loads of runs and I think you saw that on Sunday.
'I'm just delighted to be part of it.
'I was the only one to play 90 minutes and I've been working on my running all week - and in the off-season.
'I wanted to come back the fittest I've been and I was pleased to get the 90 as well as a goal.'
Martin has already added five new players to his ranks this summer, with Lyall Cameron, Max Aarons, Joe Rothwell, Manny Fernandez and Thelo Aasgaard all arriving at Ibrox.
And by the time Rangers take on Panathinaikos in a Champions League qualifier on July 22, that number could go well into double figures.
It's never easy at the best of times for a young player to make the breakthrough at Rangers.
With Martin under pressure to win and deliver silverware, it might be even more difficult for academy graduates.
But young Curtis has a steely resolve about him and he plans to work so hard, it will be impossible for the gaffer to ignore him.
On whether he feels he'll get an opportunity this season, the teenager said: 'It's obviously the manager's decision who plays. All I can do is try and impress over the coming weeks and see what happens.
'It's early days but I really want to impress him.
'The ambition is to make the next step and become one of the first names on his team sheet.
'It's down to him but I just have to work hard in training.
'What are the differences under this manager? It's just more intense.
'He's brought a real energy into the training ground and he wants to play in his style. I think it's working so far.
'There's been a positive reaction from the players to what he's trying to achieve.
'All the boys are buzzing with it. It looks like the group is coming together, which is great to see.
'I'm happy wherever the manager plays me. Hopefully there's a bit of trust there from him that I can play off both wings, like I did on Sunday - or as a number 10.
'Wherever I'm playing on the pitch, I'll just give my all for this team.'
Rangers will head to England this week for another week's training as they prepare for that Champions League crunch against the Greeks.
More fresh faces will be on board by then and whether Curtis will get to play a part in a huge European tie remains to be seen.
He's just hoping to do enough that IF he's called upon - Martin can have faith in him to do a job.
Curtis said: 'We've still got two weeks before the Panathinaikos game so we'll just focus on our trip to St George's Park first.
'Do I feel capable of playing at that level? I suppose we'll just need to wait and see.
'Right now, it's about me impressing the manager and hopefully he can put that trust in me.'
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