RANGERS Under-17s have made a winning start to their league campaign and Malky Thomson believes it is testament to the environment that both staff and players have cultivated.
The young Gers have racked up four wins out of four in the CAS Elite Under-17 League, netting 15 times and conceding on just three occasions.
Thomson says the seeds of the side’s blistering start were planted in pre-season and insists the competition in the squad is helping drive development within his young group.
Speaking to RangersTV to reflect on his side’s impressive start to the campaign, he said: “It’s been a really encouraging start. We had a fantastic pre-season getting out to play in the SuperCup in Northern Ireland, and it’s been pivotal.
“We went out there and played against local Irish teams and the international teams that compete in that tournament.
“One of the tests that we had was playing against Manchester United - we had to do a lot of defending in that one.
“The performance levels are just a forward on from the way they’ve been training. The way they apply themselves, there’s a real competition within the squad, which is healthy.
“We have some real top talent within the squad. But it’s not just about that squad competing against their own peers; we have some smashing players at Under-15 and Under-16 level which we’ve managed to integrate into the team.
“The training sessions have been up there as a high level of competition. The guys are also playing for a place in the team. It’s not just a case of everyone getting an equal share of game time; it’s about getting in the team and staying there.
“We talk about having a good style and fans pay money to come and watch football. We obviously want to be in a position where the football is entertaining, but, again, we have a real balance in our style of play.
“We’re very attack-minded, create a lot of chances, and we’ve managed to culminate those attacks by actually scoring. It’s been a real positive start to the season.”
The Under-17s squad is comprised of schoolboys who balance their development as players with education.
Thomson detailed the provisions currently in place to ensure his young players maximise both facets of their week.
He continued: “We have a hybrid group whereby the players are still at school. Our training week looks like Monday and Tuesday evenings, Thursday when we have the boys on day release from school, our game on Friday, and we have them all day on Sunday.
“The model we’re going with is working, and you can see the positive signs in that the players are coming in and getting that taste of full-time football, albeit we’re monitoring and training in the evenings.
“It prepares them ready for coming in, and if they do get a professional contract, then they’ve been broken into it in a sense.
“We have a wealth of staff around us. There are 12 individuals around this Under-17s group, from welfare, sports science, coaching, catering, to everyone around them.
“The boys have plenty of help around them, so it’s up to them to grab that opportunity and maximise their potential. It’s also vitally important that we win.
“We’re not just there to make up the numbers and give game time to players; we need to earn it. We spent a lot of time in Northern Ireland both on the pitch and in the hotel speaking about the pathway to maximise their potential.
“The boys have had a reality check and they can see there is a lot of hard work ahead of them, but there is also a lot of help around them which they can tap into.”
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