Chance to seize their dreams under boss Gerrard

“There is a very clear plan, a clean structure, and it bodes well for a solid foundation upon which to build.

“Obviously my goal is to try and ensure that we produce players out of the Academy that are good enough to play part in our first team squad.

“At the heart of any successful club is a successful Academy, it is the lifeblood. It is what fans really want to see, Academy products coming through into the first team arena, and we are no different to that.

“It is a vital part of our business strategy and we have got to produce the right players.”

If Rangers are to polish rough stones into diamonds, they must first source the right raw materials. It is a search that is constantly ongoing at every level.

“I think we all have to be cognisant of where and how we can make that possible,” Allen said. “I am no different to any other director of football in that you want to attract the best talent to your football club.

“First and foremost, what we can’t miss is the best talent locally, that is absolutely imperative to the success of any Academy. You don’t miss the local talent and that is the something that the primary focus will be on. I think when you set out on these things, there has to be a goal and that is that you produce your own.

“The more we can produce and the more we can get through, the better the financial model looks. However, they have to be the right talent and it has to be talent that forms part of a winning Rangers team.”

■ Rangers director of football Mark Allen is pictured promoting the Rangers Youth Development Company. Since 2002, RYDC profits have been directed to Rangers Football Club’s youth programme – with more than £7.5 million provided in those 16 years. For full details on RYDC’s growing portfolio of products – the re-launched Rangers Pools, Rangers Lotto, Rising Stars, Scratchcards, Stadium Bricks and the Youth Members Club - visit www.rydc. co.uk or call 0141 427 4914.