Mark Spalding, Rangers’ Head of Intermediate Academy, has revealed manager Steven Gerrard and his team know all about the academy’s prospects as they look to build for the future.
Rangers have completed their return to the top division and are now back into the throws of Scottish Premiership football, looking for their 55th league title.
The club have made strides in their quest to unearth gems as Gerrard handed teenager Nathan Patterson his debut earlier this season, with the defender starting for the Gers against Stranraer in the Scottish Cup, where they kept a clean sheet winning the game 2-0, as well as convincing the highly-rated defender Leon King to sign his first professional contract with the club.
Spalding has revealed the manager and his staff are keeping a close eye on the youth academy to witness the progress made by the young players, as Gerrard will look to integrate the right talents into the Gers squad as part of their plan to build a squad for the future.
The Rangers’ youth head added even though there is a feeling of separation amongst the academy and the first-team players at some clubs, the atmosphere at Rangers is more inclusive for both sets of squads.
"I know [Steven Gerrard] and staff watch a lot of the 16s and 18s and above”, Spalding told the Glasgow Times.
"Everything we're doing is to get these players there, it's all based on them being successful further up the chain.
"The management have a real good grasp of who the players are.
"Sometimes you can feel a degree of separation between academy and first-team but you don't feel that at Rangers."
Rangers sit second in the Premiership table behind rivals Celtic, with 13 points separating the two sides with the Gers having played a game fewer.
