Rangers are the first club in Scottish football to offer Modern Apprenticeships to female players in a pioneering move by the club.
The apprenticeships will fund 16 players from the Women’s team and Girls’ Academy aged between 16 and 19, running 12 months across the next three years. The apprenticeships offer a pathway into professional football for “the club’s elite female players”.
The Modern Apprenticeships are being offered in partnership with Skills Development Scotland.
The apprenticeships enable players to have access to training, coaching and match participation on a similar basis to that offered the club’s male counterparts.
Rangers Managing Director Stewart Robertson today said: “We are proud to launch this initiative for our Women’s team in partnership with Skills Development Scotland.
“In doing so, it will allow more young footballers to have the opportunity to compete at an elite level whilst representing our club and, importantly, to have access to our excellent facilities and continued education.”
“Exciting day for Women’s and Girl’s programme at Rangers”
Rangers WFC manager Amy McDonald said: “This is a very exciting day for the Women’s and Girls’ programme at Rangers.
“The club has always developed very good young footballers and this initiative will allow us to continue to do that as we continue to improve the programme that we offer to our players.
“Tomorrow is International Women’s Day and this is the perfect way for the club to celebrate that, by continuing its commitment to the development of our young footballers.”
Modern apprentices make a transition from schooling into a football club. Eighteen Scottish professional clubs currently offering the apprenticeship to male players.
There are 202 football apprentices currently in training across the country.