Curtis did not head to Kilmarnock for comfort. He joined a side fighting at the wrong end of the table and, in Ferguson’s view, that mattered. There was no gentle introduction to senior football, only pressure, physicality and the demand to contribute quickly.
That kind of environment can reveal a player’s level. Curtis seems to have passed that test. Reports suggest the spell sharpened not only his end product but his resilience, too.
Ferguson’s backing is not based on potential alone. Curtis has already shown he can play across the front line and has also been used at right-back. That flexibility matters at a club like Rangers, where young players often break in by solving problems for a manager rather than demanding a team be built around them.
Ferguson believes Curtis’ best role is on the left of a front three, where his direct running and eye for goal can do most damage. He also offered a note of realism: “I'm not suggesting he's going to start every game,” Ferguson said. But that is not the point. The point is that Curtis increasingly looks ready to matter.
A call-up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad is another sign that Curtis’ stock is rising, and scoring against Curacao only adds to the sense of progress. Ferguson’s verdict was simple: Curtis should be “a handy player” for Rangers this season.
The next step is the hardest one: turning promise into a place. Pre-season and the early weeks of the campaign now feel crucial, because Curtis looks ready to push from useful squad option toward genuine first-team challenger.