THE last month has been another exciting one for the Rangers Academy.
In the latest instalment of our Academy Monthly series, we reflect on recent events through the age groups in the youth ranks.
Ahead of the final stretch of the club campaign, March ushered in the final international break of the season, where we were proudly represented by several players on the continent.
Winger Callum Burnside received his first Northern Ireland Under-21s call-up after his excellent form on loan at Alloa Athletic in League One.
Rydnn McGuire, meanwhile, was joined in the Scotland Under-19s squad by Aiden McCallion and Alexander Smith, with each enjoying an impressive set of European Championship qualifiers.
Two goals were plundered by McCallion in the matches against Republic of Ireland and Poland, while Smith also netted his first goal at Under-19s level with a strike against the latter.
McGuire was an equally impressive performer between the posts, with the 17-year-old goalkeeper recently speaking to the Rangers Youth Development Company to reflect on his recent development as part of the first-team training group.
“It’s great to work with Jack [Butland] and Liam [Kelly],” he said. “Liam has graduated from the Rangers Academy, and he is big on giving me advice in terms of having a personality.
“And look at the career Jack has had. He’s been fantastic, and he gives me tips on how to move around the goal. He's a big, powerful lad, and I’m a similar size, and I know I can use that to my advantage.
“Jack has been fantastic with me since I started training with the first-team, and there is no one better to look up to.”
Rangers were also four-strong in the Scotland Under-17s selection for last month’s fixtures, with Kyle Glasgow, Max Cameron, Ben Hutton and Aiden Crilly receiving call-ups.
Indeed, Glasgow and Cameron both grabbed assists for their country as Scotland recorded two victories and were defeated only by a strong Spanish outfit.
The Scotland Under-15s training camp, meanwhile, included six players from the Gers ranks as Nathan Brown, Ollie Johnston, Ollie Masterton, Cody Mensing, David Odunukan and Kai Urban joined up with the team.
At club level, the last month marked KDM Evolution Trophy success for midfielder Paul Nsio on loan at Raith Rovers, with the Kirkcaldy outfit recording a 4-1 win over Inverness in the final.
The English midfielder has earned several Player of the Match awards for the Scottish Championship outfit and recently sparked their comeback at home to Greenock Morton with a terrific equaliser.
RangersTV recently made the trip to Fife to speak to the 20-year-old for the latest episode of Loan Rangers, and Nsio said the move has accelerated his development.
He commented: “Physically, I feel better, and technically I understand what first-team football is about. Hopefully it will all help me in my development as a player.
“It’s been good playing in front of supporters. The fans here have pushed us on all season, helped us a lot, and it’s been a good experience for myself.”
In the meantime, Burnside ran up an outstanding hat-trick for Alloa in a frenetic 5-4 defeat to Montrose over the last month, earning the Northern Irishman another spot in the SPFL Team of the Week.
He is closing in on double-digit goals for the Wasps this term, impressing alongside fellow loanees Calum Adamson and Lewis Stewart.
2008-born Alexander Smith, meanwhile, has made a sizeable impact since joining Dumbarton on loan for the remainder of the campaign. It is the midfielder’s first taste of senior football, and he is proving a creative spark for the League Two side who secured their safety at the weekend.
Back at the Rangers Training Centre, our Under-19s continued their CAS Elite League campaign with a 4-0 triumph over Motherwell.
Alongside their participation in the Glasgow Cup and CAS Elite League Cup, which both came to an end recently, they remain in the mix for the league title ahead of their final three fixtures against Celtic, Dundee United and St. Mirren.
They were victorious, too, over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park, courtesy of goals from Conor Owen and Kyle Glasgow, the latter of whom has scored nine times at Under-19 level this campaign.
Our Under-17s are also approaching the latter stages of their own league campaign after victory over Motherwell themselves on Saturday afternoon.
The last month included an impressive Old Firm triumph, earned through strikes from Coben Fergusson and Luca Rankin. They sit at the summit of the standings on goal difference and have two games in hand over St. Mirren, their closest challengers.
The domestic programme of our youth sides has also been enhanced by tournament participation across the continent, with an Under-16s side recently taking part in the Reece and Lauren James Cup hosted at Cobham.
The group competed against Bayern Munich, Strasbourg, Feyenoord and hosts Chelsea.
Elsewhere, our Under-15s competed in the East Mallorca Cup; Under-14s in the Epe Tournament in the Netherlands; Under-10s in the Brussels Cup; and our Under-9s were invited to Newcastle for the Black & White Cup.
Back up in Scotland, we hosted the Magpies in challenging cross-border matches across the Under-11 to Under-14 age group, while we were also excited to welcome Kilmarnock and St. Mirren to the Rangers Training Centre for an innovative and exciting small-sided games festival.
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