Derek McInnes and his Rangers side were brought crashing back to earth on Saturday, 17 October, after dropping two costly points in a 2-2 draw with Dundee.

The Dens Park draw halted a seven-game winning run, bringing scrutiny on the team’s mental strength during key moments. Vice-captain Dan Neil found himself under the microscope after coughing up possession in the second half, an error that allowed the hosts to restore parity and snuffed out Ibrox momentum.

Yet, over at McDiarmid Park, an out-of-favour Rangers player was offering a timely reminder of what genuine grit looks like on a Scottish Premiership pitch. Lyall Cameron, who headed to Dundee United on a season-long loan in the summer, put in a commanding performance against St Johnstone that stood in sharp contrast to the midfield struggles on display in blue later that evening.

With United chasing the game in Perth, Cameron took matters into his own hands. Anticipating a swift transition from deep inside his own half, the 24-year-old stormed towards the penalty box, latched onto Jesse Randall’s pass, held off heavy physical pressure from tracking defenders, and squeezed a sensational shot into the net while falling sideways to secure a 1-1 draw.

Rangers icon Kris Boyd wowed by ‘terrific’ Lyall Cameron goal

The impressive effort drew rich praise from Richard Foster, the former Rangers defender, on BBC Sportscene. Now, his heroics have also captured the full attention of Kris Boyd, who expressed his admiration for the player’s technique and determination during the latest edition of the Go Ballistic podcast. He said:

“He was unlucky with the header just before that: Used all his height at the back post, got up, header back across, ended up in a good save, but his finish was brilliant. And again, we say it all the time: you might have talent, but if you’re not playing football, it hinders you. You need to be playing. He went on loan to Aberdeen, probably got a taste for playing regular football again, didn’t quite work out for him, came back, went to Dundee United and he’s thriving. He’s really, really kicked on, Lyall Cameron. Terrific finish as well. Fallen down, but still managed to get it in the back of the net.”

The disparity between Cameron’s sheer determination to drag his team back into a contest and Neil’s costly lapse at Dens Park will not have gone unnoticed by the Ibrox support. While Neil’s slip saw Rangers drop two points, Cameron’s moment of pure heart salvaged a point for United from a losing position.

Having claimed consecutive spots in the SPFL Team of the Week alongside contributing three direct goal involvements in his last three league games, Cameron is proving that hunger and intensity are mandatory in top-flight football – qualities Rangers supporters will be wishing had been present at Dens Park over the weekend.