Ex-Rangers teen Lewis MacLeod admits he can't remember much about his rise to stardom at Ibrox - but he knows he was not properly prepared for the limelight.

MacLeod was a standout for Gers back when they were in Scotland's Third Division following financial issues.

The playmaker was thrust into the starting lineup under Ally McCoist and expected to be a key man for the Light Blues despite his young age.

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And while he seemingly took the pressure in his stride, the then-18-year-old felt he was "unprepared" for the attention he was receiving.

"It sounds mad but I can’t remember much about the first couple of years," MacLeod told The Athletic.

"Me and Kal [Naismith] have spoken about it before. 

"It all just came really fast and felt like you were shoved into it unprepared. 

"We never thought we were going to be playing for Rangers’ first-team in 2012. 

"When it happened, it was a shock to the system and you had to adjust to being recognised in the street, so it’s hard to take in when you’re 18 or 19."

Now at Wigan Athletic, MacLeod initially left Gers for Brentford in a deal worth around £850,000.

But he wasn't able to hit the ground running down south and admits he struggled to enjoy his time with Mark Warburton.

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He added: "There’s no point in playing if you don’t enjoy it and, for five years at Brentford, I never enjoyed it as much as I should have because I wasn’t playing football, so nowadays, I just want to play.

"At the start of my time [in England], I wasn’t playing so I was flung back into that mould of not enjoying it, so my focus is just on playing as much as I can. I had a hamstring problem for 18 months so it always plays in the back of your mind but this is the best I’ve felt in a long time. 

"I’m just trying to forget."