He is the poster boy in the Scottish FA’s campaign to persuade clubs to give youth more of a chance. Ure wasn’t given that opportunity in Glasgow and left for Anderlecht, then IK Sirius and now Sevilla, who paid £5.5m for him, plus another £2.5m in add-ons.
He calls the past few months “busy” which is an understatement. He’s operating at a different level now. Sevilla lost that Barcelona game 3-1 – he has yet to score for his new club – but this is an education he’s receiving, a critical part of his development.
“The first half, we were good,” he says. “But as the game goes on, they wear you down. Raphinha at the moment. I mean…”
There’s a knowing smile there, an indication of the kind of class he is now witnessing. “I really enjoyed it,” he adds. “But against these players, you give them one chance and most of the time it’s a goal. For me, it was a really good experience. I’m only going to get better as a result of it.”
Ure is a Rangers boy – one that got away. Was it difficult having to leave? “Yeah, it was,” he explains. “All I’d ever known was Rangers. Going in every single day since I was probably eight years old but it was something that I felt I had to do.
“I felt like I wasn’t good enough to play for Rangers at the time, which is normal for many 18-year-olds. It was nothing that affected my confidence. I would have loved to have stayed but I knew myself that I wasn’t going to play, which I accepted.
“At a club like Rangers, it’s difficult for any 18-year-old to play. I needed a change of scenery and a fresh start, somewhere that I could go to play at a level that would be good enough for me at the time. Anderlecht provided that.”
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