THE draw for the UEFA Youth League second round paired the Under-19s against Dynamo Kyiv in the domestic champions path, and Malky Thomson says it will serve as an important reference point for his side.
Rangers are back in European competition after lifting the CAS Elite League title last season and will be keen to make their mark.
Speaking to the official Rangers website, Thomson said: “Those platforms are great for the players.
“It’s just like when they go and train with the first-team, and the question is always if they can catch the eye of the manager.
“It will be interesting to go and compete, and we’ll be able to use it as a yardstick where we are as a team compared to these European teams.”
The draw was made early Tuesday night, and later in the evening the young Gers produced a 2-0 away win over Hibernian in CAS Elite League action.
It was a hard-fought triumph earned through goals from James Reid and Alexander Smith.
Thomson said of the performance: “We had been on at the players in the last couple of days in training about being ruthless.
“In the second half we were excellent, and we played some really good football in spells during the game.
“But we need to become more ruthless as a team, individually too, because it’s clear we dominate games, and unless we have a cutting edge then we’re always going to be having to defend in a manner that is more crisis-type as opposed to enjoying the defensive part of it.
“That aspect will never change at Rangers, and we’re always looking for younger players to come through if they’re good enough.
“I’m pleased with the way the older guys accept the younger players.”
Meetings between Rangers and Hibernian at Under-19s level have been commonplace in recent years, with the pair having squared off in CAS Elite League Cup action last season.
The young Gers failed to win on a single occasion, and Thomson credited the support staff for the hard work in helping the side to victory on Tuesday evening.
He added: “It was part of Jake Boon’s [analyst] presentation that showed us our record, and we’ve been through it before and unfortunately got battered here before.
“The best we did last season against Hibs was a draw, and lost all the other games.
“We spoke to them about having an identity, and it starts with the younger players coming back into the fold.
“Craig McPherson [assistant coach] has also done a sterling job. It’s about installing discipline and good habits, and Rangers is built on good traditions and how you conduct yourself.
“I’ve mentioned Craig who has a lot of soft conversations and has a lot of respect from the boys.
“We also have Tara Harvey, our physiotherapist, who is experienced and has been at the club a long time, while we have Conor Brennan who has been with the first-team and is actively dropping back down into the Under-19s.
“The experience we have is great for the players, and we treat it like a first-team.”
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