CRAIG EYES LATEST COLT FROM BLUE
RANGERS COLTS already have the scalps of four senior clubs in the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup.
And Craig Mulholland wouldn’t bet against them going all the way.
The academy director’s Under-18 team smashed Celtic 5-0 in the Scottish Youth Cup earlier in the week and they’re also going great guns in the UEFA Youth League.
All of which pleases Mulholland immensely. But not half as much as seeing some of his boys muscle their way into Steven Gerrard’s first team.
That, Mulholland insists, is of far greater value to Rangers than stockpiling silverware at age group levels – or even winning the Tunnock’s Cup, although he believes that is an attainable goal.
The Ibrox faithful will have their first real chance to see the Graeme Murtyled Colts team in action on Saturday when they take on Wrexham in the quarter finals, having travelled and seen off opposition in Scotland, Northern Ireland and England in the previous rounds.
Mulholland is thrilled they’ve finally landed a home tie and believes the success of the kids has strengthened his argument for B teams to be allowed to compete in the lower leagues.
He said: “We’ve been screaming out for this.
“This is the pressure they’ll need to play under if they want to play for the first team. The Challenge Cup has been great.
“I’ve been banging on about the need for Colt teams in the lower leagues.
“In this cup run, we started with Berwick then Stranraer, Ballymena and Solihull, so the challengers have got tougher each time. They NEED that challenge.
“Solihull have a budget equal to some Scottish Premier League teams.
“It was effectively our Under-19 team with one or two exceptions who went there and beat them.
“That shows the talent’s there but we need to give them more and more exposure to Ibrox, to a crowd and to playing against men.
“The best way to do that would be the introduction of B teams.”
The B team argument is for the future but in the here and now Mulholland’s priority is to continue the development of some of Scotland’s brightest young talent.
He said: “Winning 5-0 against your rivals was great but we don’t ever want the message to the academy to be we are only about winning trophies.
“We want to push and challenge players, it’s not about winning trophies necessarily.”
Rangers Academy head Craig Mulholland was promoting Rangers Youth Development Company. For full details on RYDC’s portfolio of products – Rangers Pools, Rangers Lotto, the new Union Jackpot draw, Scratchcards and Stadium Bricks – visit www.rydc. co.uk or call 0141 427 4914.