Not a Bird or a Plane | Ross Crane

Perhaps an unconventional opening to a player blog. But Ross Crane is more than your typical winger. 

Sure, he can cross effectively. Can deliver accurately from a number of areas in and around the box. Can get the ball into dangerous areas through crossing, progressive passing or carrying. And isn’t exactly shy to take responsibility in the box himself, as five goals in this season’s National League North campaign and nine in total demonstrates.

*Outcomes taken from Wyscout at end of October 2025

But there’s something else. 

And I need to make a full disclosure here, that I have a notoriously critical eye for wide players. A suspicion probably fostered from years of playing in goal and seeing some as simply one-dimensional passengers, so it takes something to really capture my attention. And so often in my scouting roles I’ve seen performances that offer promise, only to be let down on another watch. 

The last player to get through this critical eye consistently was Jes Uchegbulam, then of Matlock Town. Jes played at a pace well-above the standard, making runs that were often seen too late by teammates for him to capitalise on. But when he got on the ball, he made things happen and demonstrated an on-ball bravery that I knew deserved to be seen higher. Nearly a year after my first notes on him, he got his move and signed for Chesterfield in the National League and remained at the level for nearly 100 games with Chesterfield, Rochdale and Oldham - culminating in an impressive assist in a successful playoff appearance for the Latics.  

In Ross Crane I see the same determination to make things happen. A shouldering of responsibility in a side perhaps lacking similar quality around him. His game is not so reliant on pace, though is capable of utilising acceleration to get into dangerous positions. He offers a much rounder threat to those wingers who simply sit on the flank and wait for their chance. There's game intelligence too, choosing the type of threat to attack the opposition’s box carefully for an impressive repertoire of threats from either flank or centrally. 

But in his performances I see a potential for something more. Having watched at close quarters Notts County’s determination to convert the traditional winger into effective and league-leading wingbacks with Aaron Nemane and Jodi Jones, and with less success Josh Martin, I’m sure Crane offers the physical, technical and tactical capabilities to break into either the National League or even League Two in a similar role. His role in recoveries is one basis for this confidence, averaging nearly four a game at the end of October in the blood and thunder of the National League North, while his low number of losses in his own defensive third shows a composure and intelligence necessary to play a deeper role than the one he is currently employed in. Physically too, with a powerful, broad-shouldered physique, Crane can use his body to shield and protect the ball against even the most robust of challenges.       

At 23, I already see him as one of the standout players in this season’s National League North having played nearly 70 games at the level. I don’t believe it will be too long before I see him making a deserved progressive move and, with some trust and time for development, feel strongly that there is a player destined to spend a large proportion of his career in the EFL. 

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Written by Colin Sisson | @colin_sisson

Editor: Richard Ogando | @notts_stats

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