Philippe Clement handed opportunities to a number of Rangers youngsters in the Scottish Cup victory over Fraserburgh.
Northern Irish teenager Mason Munn was given a starting berth between the sticks whilst Zak Lovelace made his first Rangers start since October last year.
In the second half, youngsters like Bailey Rice and Finlay Curtis also came off the bench and made a big impression in the Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox.
But speaking after the match, Philippe Clement revealed that there is another youngster in the Rangers ranks who didn’t play v Fraserburgh but who is making progress at Auchenhowie.
Philippe Clement hails Rangers youngsters
“[There were ]two really good passes from Finlay [Curtis],” Clement told the press at full-time.
“Indeed he’s one of the guys who’s developing really well.
“The last couple of months he’s trained a lot of times with us but there are others also, so it’s difficult for me to point out one.
“Zak [Lovelace] is coming back out of a long injury. Bailey Rice is doing really good things in training, that’s why I wanted to give him also minutes, but there are also guys like Paul Nsio who’s not in the squad today that are making a good evolution.
“It’s about all of them to keep on working hard, to be hungry, to have the desire to become better and then to push the others and to make next steps.
“Like Clinton [Nsiala], for example, is doing now and challenging for positions with other players.
“That’s what we need and that’s also what this club needs. To develop young players who can play at the best level and that’s winning every game.
“So there is a big gap to make between academy and playing first-team football here because it’s not only first-team football, it’s about the demand of every game to win it.
“It’s also a mentality thing, it’s a character thing.”
What next for Rangers youngsters?
Philippe Clement would’ve picked out the Scottish Cup fourth round clash with Fraserburgh as being the perfect opportunity to bleed some Rangers youngsters.
But with the Ibrox side all but out of the Scottish Premiership title race, the Rangers manager named a strong starting XI to ensure progression to the next stage of the cup.
Rangers earned that with a thumping 5-0 victory and Philippe Clement reflected on the youngsters who did play after the game.
Claiming that those who are still around the Rangers first-team ‘need the experience’, Clement claims that loan deals will only be considered when they are beneficial.
It comes after Rangers reportedly ripped up their B team structure with the club’s young players not benefitting enough from the system.
“They will keep on playing games like they’ve been doing the last couple of months also,” when Clement was asked about the next step for the Rangers youngsters.
”Playing games, training with us and guys who deserve the chance to be with the first-team.
“And with other players, there have been several players who have gone on loan to get more playing time.
“Like Cole McKinnon who was already several years in the first-team squad or around it. Like Robbie Fraser also, that they can get every week, every minute.
“The guys who are still here are the guys who need this experience. Sometimes playing, in parts playing and training also, more with the first-team. So it’s a little bit in between.”
