The Gers B team will take part in the prestigious 7-a-side tournament commencing tomorrow afternoon as they head to Asia for the three-day event.
The 16-team competition ran from 1999 until 2019 before it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic consisting mainly of academy teams from European clubs competing against senior players from Asian leagues. It now makes its return after a four-year absence and the B team coach is excited to take part in the tournament as the young Gers bring their season to a close.
He said: "It is always something that the players and staff look forward to, it is a little bit different in terms of the concept of the tournament so it is a nice end to the season, to go and play something different. A little bit of fun just to go play 7-a-side, with the 7-a-side rules and the rules in terms of some players can leave the pitch and the numbers come down. It will be an exciting time just to the lads go and let their hair down almost and just go and play some football."
The Light Blues have competed in the tournament previously and did so in the last edition four years ago and Gilmour believes it is an opportunity to go test themselves against top opposition with the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion, Leicester City and Newcastle taking part.
He continued: "It is always nice to be invited back to these things, the club players and staff over many years have made a lot of friends. It is nice to go and visit, see the sights and also take some of the players that have maybe been before and some players that will be going for the first time to go and experience what Rangers means to a lot of people on that side of the world as well.
"If you historically look through it there has always been players that have moved on in their career that have played in the tournament, it is a prestigious tournament and it has been going a long time. You get to go and compete against the players and there is a few Premier League teams in there as well, it will be nice to go and compete at a right good level."
The B team assistant believes it is a nice way for the players to bring their season to a conclusion after a hectic schedule throughout the campaign but says it is ultimately a tournament they are going to try and win.
Gilmour added: "It has been a heavy schedule, that is the way that has worked out for most of the lads that have played in it, it is nice end to the season, little bit of fun for them to go and play in terms of fun on the pitch where they just play the game. Small-sided kind of suits the style that we want to have anyway, so it will be nice for them to go and let their hair down and hopefully go and perform.
"It is another tournament that the lads are already speaking about, it is a tournament that they want to go and compete in, and ultimately go and try win."
RANGERS SQUAD: Budinauckas, K.Ewen, Williamson, Allan, Young, Kennedy, Graham, Fraser, Strachan, Stevens
Live streaming will be available on the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens YouTube channel and cluch.tv/football/. You can also follow the Light Blues’ journey across our B Team and Academy Twitter account @RFC_Youth.