Philippe Clement doesn’t need to be convinced that youth is the way forward at Rangers.
The Belgian manager has made a career out of putting his faith in young players in his route to Ibrox via Genk, Club Brugge and AS Monaco.
As Rangers try to recover from the club’s woeful mismanagement of contracts and player trading in recent seasons, academy players have been thrust into the spotlight.
Philippe Clement is clear that Rangers need to put their faith in youth in a way that they quite simply have not done enough since, well, ever.
And as two young stars steal the headlines at Euro 2024, Rangers can surely take inspiration with regards a number of the club’s brightest talents.
Rangers can take Euro 2024 inspiration
Rangers fans watching Euro 2024 will have noticed two young wonderkids take centre stage to help drive their respective countries to the competition’s final.
First up was Spain’s Lamine Yamal, who at 16-years-old is not only the youngest player to play at a European Championships, but after this week also to score at one.
And what a goal it was.
The highly-rated Barcelona talent netted a stunning strike to pull Spain level against France before the Spaniards scored again through Dani Olmo to take the advantage.
It was a moment which will have made clubs and countries across the world sitting up and taking notice.
Barcelona are famed for putting their faith in youth whilst the idea Scotland could hand a debut to a 16-year-old, let alone allow him to start at a major tournament, is almost unthinkable.
But south of the border England and Gareth Southgate have been putting their faith in youth for a number of years and are now reaping the rewards.
Reaching the European Championship final for the second consecutive tournament, Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo was instrumental in overcoming the Netherlands.
Whilst it was Ollie Watkins who was the goalscoring hero for England in the game, Mainoo put in a midfield masterclass beyond his tender years to control the match for the Three Lions.
It’s worth noting that Rangers-linked Xavi Simons – now 21-years-old – also scored in the match after earning the trust to go out and play as a teenager.
Clement to bleed Ibrox youth
What can Rangers learn from this? Well, nothing that Philippe Clement doesn’t already know.
The Rangers boss has been clear that bleeding players at a younger age and giving them opportunities is not only central to a functional player trading model, but also to success.
Clement has history elsewhere too.
At Brugge, Clement handed opportunities to Charles De Ketelaere – now of Atalanta – and Noah Mbamba – now of Bayer Leverkusen – amongst many others.
There is risk involved in playing young players, but the rewards can far outweigh them.
With Rangers failing to regain domestic dominance under the previous model, what harm can such a revolution do?
Clement has already handed consistent opportunities to Northern Irish talent Ross McCausland with Robbie Fraser and Cole McKinnon also trusted throughout the season.
The signing of Alexander Smith will have come with the promise of game time, whilst there are big things expected of Leon King, Bailey Rice and Zak Lovelace.
Rangers might even look across the Scottish Premiership too, amid reports the Gers watched Lennon Miller turn out for Motherwell this week.
Whilst there is no guarantee Rangers will unearth a Lamine Yamal, Kobbie Mainoo or even Xavi Simons, there’s no chance so long as we fail to back our best young talents.
