IT'S DEJA BLUE FOR JORG CLONE CHARLIE

HUMBLE Charlie Adam is honoured to hear people compare him to Jorg Albertz as Rangers' new long-shot specialist.

But the rising midfield star knows he has a long way to go before he can truly be mentioned in the same breath as an Ibrox cult hero like the Hammer.

Charlie said: "People have compared me to Jorg, saying my shot is the same as his. To be mentioned in the same sentence as him is amazing because he's a legend.

"Shooting comes naturally to me and I want to use it to my advantage but sometimes I'm a bit erratic.

"I'm still learning and the other players are helping me. I wasn't at the club when Albertz was here but it's nice to hear the comparison.

"I just want to be Charlie Adam and known for being successful at Rangers."

Having broken into the first team this season after spending a year on loan at St Mirren, Adam's emergence has been one of the few plus points of Gers' disastrous domestic campaign.

First Division St Johnstone sent Paul Le Guen's men crashing out of the CIS Cup and they trail miles behind rivals Celtic in the SPL. But Adam believes Gers are set to stage a salvage operation, starting with today's trip to Tynecastle.

Delivering a victory over Hearts would ease some of the pressure on Le Guen and that's the least the 20-year-old feels he owes the Frenchman.

He said: "Playing for a massive club like Rangers is an honour and I can't thank the manager enough for giving me that chance.

"I always felt I was good enough to play for Rangers but needed someone to give me the chance to prove that.

"A few of us feel a duty to pull the club out of this slump for the boss. We are going through a transitional period with young players coming in. That inexperience has maybe played a part in our dip in form.

"But on the positive side we've seen a lot of Scottish players getting picked. Against Dunfermline we had six Scots on the park and I don't think that would have happened in the past.

"We're growing in experience with every game and the manager is here for the long haul. Results will come soon."

Adam's stunning rise continued last week when he played for the Scotland B team against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

And he only needs to look back a year to see how far he has come. Adam said: "I was playing in the Bells Cup Final 12 months ago and now I'm away playing with some of the best players in Scotland.

"It's a great honour and something I'd never have thought of when I was at St Mirren. That season on loan has helped me physically and mentally as I was playing every week against tough players.

"I still have a lot to learn and I'm enjoying coping with the everyday pressure at a club like Rangers.

"Playing in Europe is also special and we have a big game in the UEFA Cup against Auxerre this week. We played well against Livorno and Maccabi Haifa and I was delighted to score in both games.

"To score my first goal for the club was special but to do it in Europe against Livorno was pleasing.

"Our results in Europe have been much better than in domestic games.

"That's because the league is more challenging - it's quicker and teams don't let you have the ball as long.

"In Europe there's more time and space and we have good players to exploit that. Hopefully we can change our season, starting with a win against Hearts."

Adam (right) is hoping Le Guen's commitment to giving youth a chance will also benefit kid brother Grant.

The 17-year-old is a goalkeeper at the Murray Park youth academy and Charlie admits it would be a dream for them to play in the same Rangers team.

He said: "Like most keepers he's daft as a brush but it's good to see him progressing. I don't know what will happen but hopefully they will offer him a pro contract.

"I haven't taken him under my wing. He'll do his own thing and I'm not going to push him. The club back him and I'm there for him as well."

Taken from the Sunday Mail