Will Curtis keep Kilmarnock up then go to World Cup?

They 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 Since 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.