Campbell: Eagerly Anticipating Ibrox Opportunity

RANGERS Under-18s head coach Cameron Campbell says he’s excited for the experience that awaits his players in the Scottish Youth Cup semi-final against Hamilton Academical, with the match taking place in front of a crowd at Ibrox on Friday evening.

The young Gers have won the previous two editions of the competition and take on a talented Accies side with a place in the final at Hampden Stadium up for grabs.

Speaking to RangersTV in the build up to the match, Campbell says the group are eagerly anticipating the fixture and the opportunity to run out in front of a crowd at Ibrox: “The staff and I are really looking forward to it, but none more so than the players.

“Especially a lot of the new ones that came in over the summer, and for some of them they have played on it when they have come through the Academy because we try our best to give them that little bit of exposure, but they have never done it in a competitive match with fans and their families in the stadium so hopefully it will be a great night.”

The Under-18s coach hopes the team will reap the benefits of playing in front of the Rangers supporters and believes they will use the experience of the evening moving forward in their careers.

He continued: “It is hugely beneficial. Our purpose and role here at the Under-18s is to try and produce players for the B Team and then the first-team. Part of that developing is learning to go and play in one of the best stadiums in Britain and get used to that atmosphere and environment and everything else that goes along with it.

“In the Under-18s league they play in a lot of different mixed venues, sometimes you are playing in a high school pitch or at the Training Centre which is brilliant, so going to another stadium is a little bit special and different for them.

“If you ever want to know and feel that you are at the club, and it doesn’t help coming through those gates every single day, then walking out of the tunnel with the shirt on in the stadium is going to make you feel that you belong here, and that again is part of their journey.

The match is sure to contain an added edge with a place in the final at stake, as the Light Blues look to produce a strong performance to seal a Hampden return.

Campbell added: “Hamilton have done really well this season. They are competing in the league to try and win it, as are we, so it is a great contest in terms of football nature.

“The game will be very competitive, so to then put that at Ibrox and go wrap it up in a semi-final to get to a final at Hampden which is the showpiece event. We are really fortune that we have reached the final and won the competition in the last two seasons, so it is definitely something we want to go and do again this year.”

You can buy your tickets for the match at Ibrox here, kick-off 7pm, and back the players in what is sure to prove a brilliant experience in their development.


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