Former Rangers defender makes admission on Ross McCrorie's future that will delight Portsmouth fans

That is the verdict of Alan Hutton amid the Blues’ interest of extending the Scotland under-21 international’s stay at the club.

McCrorie moved to Fratton Park on a season-long loan last summer to improve his chances of establishing himself at Ibrox.

He's featured 22 times during Kenny Jackett’s side’s League One promotion push, while he’s also been converted from a defensive midfielder to a right-back.

Pompey are quietly confident they can make their loanees permanent at the season’s end, with chief executive Mark Catlin admitted ‘the situation definitely remains under review’.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard said he had ‘big plans’ for McCrorie when he went south of the border.

But if the 22-year-old isn't going to be a first-team regular at the Gers then Hutton believes McCrorie’s career would benefit from joining the Blues if he was guaranteed minutes.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Tottenham defender said: ‘It’s a difficult one, he obviously wasn’t in the plans up there so he went down on loan which I think was a great idea.

‘Portsmouth are doing well which helps. It just depends on where Gerrard sees him fitting in – does he need him at the moment, does he want to sign him to a long-term deal?

‘If it was me personally, I would want to play every week.

‘I would presume he would be the same so you really need to get that conversation out there – am I going to play or am I coming up to be a bit-part player? If so, it’s worth me moving because I need to play.

‘I think that’s everybody’s dream when you’re a kid, you don’t want to be sitting on a bench week in, week out for years. It’s a conversation he’ll definitely have to have.’

McCrorie has returned home to his native Glasgow during the suspension of the season.

He was one of five Pompey players – along with James Bolton, Andy Cannon, Haji Mnoga and Sean Raggett - who tested positive for coronavirus.

It has been confirmed that the quintet have all made full recoveries after self-isolating.