Will Curtis keep Kilmarnock up then go to World Cup?

Image source, SNSImage caption, Findlay Curtis has had a fine second half of the season Watch on iPlayerByJack HerrallBBC Sport ScotlandThey say you should never fall in love with a loan player, but Kilmarnock fans are head over heels with Findlay Curtis. The 19-year-old joined from parent club Rangers in January, having scored three goals and chipped in with two assists in 21 appearances for the Ibrox club with impressive European showings against the likes of Porto. His precocious performance at St Mirren on Saturday was the display of a player beyond his years, playing with heaps of confidence and the freedom given to him by Rugby Park boss Neil McCann. Having boosted Kilmarnock's survival hopes with a composed double in the win in Paisley, has he perhaps also elevated his dreams of travelling to this summer's World Cup as a member of Steve Clarke's Scotland squad? Curtis shines as Kilmarnock ease aside St Mirren in play-off battle Latest Kilmarnock news, analysis and fan views More goals than four big-name Rangers signingsSince leaving Ibrox on loan in January, many Rangers fans will have wondered if he would have made more of an impact than some of the side's out-of-form attackers. "If you're Danny Rohl now, you'd rather have him in your squad," BBC Sport Scotland pundit Scott Allan said. "At that time, he'd have been thinking Andreas Skov Olsen and others are going to come in and have an impact. But now he'll be looking at it thinking they'd be a much better side with Findlay Curtis in it." Indeed, Curtis has outshone many of his possible replacements at Ibrox. His five league goals this season match the combined tally of Skov Olsen and fellow January signing Ryan Naderi, as well as Oliver Antman and Djeidi Gassama. With two games to go this season, Kilmarnock are four points clear of St Mirren and the relegation play-off spot, with Curtis having played a huge part in lifting them away from danger. "I think it tells you he likes that responsibility," said Allan about Curtis' willingness to step up when it matters most. Figure caption, Curtis on his connection with the Killie fans "That's usually when you can see these players who have that wee bit extra, who want to take the ball under pressure, who want to go and be the guy that wins the game. "It shouldn't really matter what age you are, it's either in you or it's not, and Curtis has definitely shown that he has that bit between his teeth." When McCann was appointed by Kilmarnock, it became apparent early on that he wanted Curtis in on loan, having worked with him as part of Barry Ferguson's backroom staff at Rangers towards the end of last season. Allan - who worked under McCann at Dundee and Inverness - reckons the manager's influence is a positive one for this stage in Curtis' career. "I think you can go on loan from a Rangers or a Celtic and maybe take your foot off the gas a little bit - but I don't think McCann would have allowed him to do that." The winger would have been fighting for a place in the Rangers side but decided a loan move for regular football was the correct choice for him. "One of the main things was to play as many minutes as I can," Curtis told BBC Sport Scotland in the aftermath of his impressive double. "It gives me loads of confidence to get those goals. I want to get my numbers higher, and I won't stop doing that. "I think I just need to keep working hard and see what comes next." There's one word that springs to mind when describing Curtis's display against St Mirren: clinical. He had three shots, two on target, both goals, and good ones. He showed the quality that had him featuring regularly for Rangers in the early days of Russell Martin's tenure, scoring three times in the Englishman's first six games, including in Champions League qualifying. He's since scored four in Kilmarnock's last six games under McCann and Billy Dodds. Curtis was pushed forward by his fellow players when the squad took a well-deserved post-match ovation from a sizeable travelling support. A player-of-the-match performance with his double, which took the game away from St Mirren, he was a constant nuisance. And his numbers show a player who's happy to muck in - 45 touches, 24 passes with an accuracy of nearly 67%, two key passes, one tackle, and two fouls won. The most important column of all, of course, is the goals tally. And his brace has gone a long way to securing top-flight survival for his adopted side. Afterwards, he paid tribute post-match to McCann and Dodds, to his team-mates, and to the fans who've taken him to their hearts with their own special song. He says Rangers are getting a much better player back when his loan ends next weekend and that he'll be sad to leave Rugby Park. "I'd definitely say it's been a beneficial loan, both on and off the pitch," he said. Should Curtis be on plane for World Cup?Curtis' burgeoning ability to drag his side out of a mire at just 19 has already caught the eye of

Will Curtis keep Kilmarnock up then go to World Cup?

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