SCOTLAND youth star Ryan Sinnamon reckons Rangers pal Robbie Crawford will enjoy the backing of a loyal local crowd at Cappielow this season.

Greenock-born right-back Sinnamon played the full 90 minutes of a 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic on Tuesday night as Morton played host to the national team’s Under-19 side.

The 18-year-old, winner of the Junior Sportsperson of the Year at the 2012 Inverclyde Sports Personality Awards, was chuffed with the support he received from the stands.

And he believes Gers club mate and fellow Inverclyde footballer Crawford will thrive on loan with the Ton.

Speaking exclusively to the Tele, Sinnamon said: “I’m from Greenock so it was nice to play in front of my home crowd. I thought I did well, so I was pleased. I played at Cappielow in a few wee seven-a-side tournaments when I was younger but this was the first time I’d been involved in an 11-a-side match there.

“Most of my family were at the game and some of my old boys’ club coaches from First Touch were here. It was great to have them here supporting me.

“I signed for Rangers when I was nine but still trained with First Touch on a Sunday morning right through until we left.

“John McClurg, Des McCole, Bidge Clark and loads of others were there, and I owe them everything. I wouldn’t be where I am if it wasn’t for them and the work they put in with me since I was five.

“Every session we did was excellent. It was very technical, all ball work and teaching you how to play. I think it set me up well for becoming a professional with Rangers. Robbie Crawford also came through First Touch and signed for Rangers. I know him well. He’s just joined Morton on loan and I think that’s a good move for him.

“He wasn’t really featuring as much as he would like to feature, so hopefully he can come here [to Morton] and get game time and come back to Rangers a better player.

“It will be handy for him being local and to be able to play in front of his home crowd. I hope he does well - and I think he will. He’s a very technical player. If he’s playing week in, week out, he can only get better. That’s all he needs, game time. I think he’ll do well.” Sinnamon is a prominent member of the Rangers Under-20 squad but admitted a spell on loan at Morton is something he would be open to should the opportunity arise further down the line. He added: “If the time comes in future that I’m looking to go out on loan then this would certainly be a place I would like to come.

“It’s handy and I know Craig McPherson — he was one of my coaches at First Touch as well — so I would definitely consider it, yeah.” For now, the teenager is focusing on life at Rangers as well as Scotland’s upcoming 2015 Euro Under-19 Championship qualifying group.

And he feels that Tuesday’s draw with the Czech Republic is ideal preparation for next month’s competitive matches against Norway, Finland, and section hosts Lithuania.

He said: “It was disappointing to draw 2-2. We started the game really well and scored two good goals, but the one we conceded just before half-time sort of killed us.

“It set us back going into half-time and gave them something to play for. If we had got in at 2-0 it would have been a different game.

“We played very well in the first half but were a wee bit slack in the second half. They had a few chances and we also had a few chances, so maybe a draw was a fair result.

“The Czech Republic are a quality team who also work hard — as are Belgium, who we also played recently — so they have been good tests for us.

“These are the kind of games you want to play before the competitive qualifiers start.”