James Penrice's Rise to Rangers Laid Bare by Davie Martindale

Rangers new signing James Penrice's rise to the top has been laid bare by his former gaffer Davie Martindale, who praises the player's family for keeping him on the right path.

What Happened?

James Penrice, the new Rangers recruit, has had a meandering road to the top, from being released by Rangers as a youngster to his current dream move to Ibrox. His perseverance has paid off, with performances that won him a place in PFA Scotland's 2025 team of the year and a big money move to AEK Athens, where he'd go onto lift a Greek league title.

Why It Matters for Rangers

Davie Martindale, the former Livingston boss and player, has followed a similar path, from the lower leagues in Scotland to his current role as director of football at Livingston. He's seen far too many talented youngsters from similar backgrounds to his own fall prey to the wilder excesses that tend to haunt the streets of working-class Scotland.

What Comes Next?

Martindale praises James Penrice and his family for keeping him on the right path, saying, "James grew up in the same kind of place I did. It was a Rangers background, his parents are big Rangers fans, it's a big Rangers family in a big Rangers community." He adds, "James could have got involved in all the things that I experienced had things worked out another way. But that's where James Snr - or Jay, as we all called him - and Theresa deserve all the credit because whereas I went off the rails, they made sure to keep him on that football trajectory."

League Standing

Rangers are currently 2nd in the Premiership, with 69 points from 33 games, 19 wins, 12 draws, and 2 losses. They are 1 point behind leaders Heart of Midlothian and have a recent form of 2 wins and 3 losses.

Recent Form

Rangers' recent form is 2W-0D-3L (WWLLL, most recent first), on a 2-game winning run.

Last Result

Rangers' last result was a 5-2 win over Falkirk on 16 May 2026.

Goals This Season

Rangers have scored 66 goals and conceded 31 this season, with a goal difference of +35.

Title Race

Rangers are 1 point behind leaders Heart of Midlothian in the title race.

Transfer

James Penrice's transfer to Rangers is a dream move for the player, who has had to battle his way back up from the bottom. His perseverance has paid off, with performances that won him a place in PFA Scotland's 2025 team of the year and a big money move to AEK Athens, where he'd go onto lift a Greek league title.