RANGERS Academy recently completed the first of its innovative training exchanges as part of the High Potential Player Programme.
Led by Talent Development Coach, Cameron Campbell, a trio of professional Academy players spent two days training with RB Leipzig’s Under-19s squad, who are currently competing in the UEFA Youth League, at the state-of-the-art Red Bull Academy.
The trio of players lived and breathed like an RB Leipzig academy player over two days, sampling a different culture and cosmopolitan dressing room.
In addition, they were able to utilise the vast resources and training facilities that accompany a Champions League club competing in a top five league in Europe.
Reflecting on the experience, Campbell said: “I would like to thank RB Leipzig for the experience. They were really open and showed us everything.
“It was a really intense trip, which we planned on having. We really lived the experience when we went there, and it was definitely eye-opening.
“We wanted to maximise every single minute as much as we could, which the boys found quite tough but hopefully really rewarding as well. We picked two days where their Under-19s squad, which compete in the UEFA Youth League, had double training sessions.
“We’re aware that in academy football, as players transition up the age groups, the dressing room doesn’t change a lot of the time with the exception of one or two players.
“If you look at the make up of our squad it’s very British dominated, so putting them into a dressing room full of Germans, Icelandics, all these various nationalities, they have to learn to cope with being uncomfortable, which is something we hope will accelerate their learning.
“We speak about ‘future proofing’ players a lot. We want these players to be ready for the first-team as soon as possible, but realistically the boys that we took on the trip have 12-18 months before they will be ready for the first-team.
“What we’re trying to do in the Academy is make sure that there is no need for the manager to go out and buy players, but it’s important for our youngsters to know that they exist.
“It’s important that they’re not just competing with themselves on a daily basis, or their teammates to get to the first-team, but they’re also competing with the best young players around Europe to make it to our first-team as that is who will ultimately play in a Rangers first-team.
Among the trio of travelling players was 16-year-old forward Chris Eadie, who joined the club full-time over the summer after progressing through the Boys Academy at Rangers.
The teenager believes the trip was an eye-opening learning experience for a young player looking to make his way in the game, taking him out of his comfort zone where he sampled a different footballing culture.
Detailing the training experience, Eadie recalls: “It was an early start for us, and a lot earlier than what we’re used to here. They go to school during the day, so training was early in the morning and later at night.
“We had to wake up at 6am, get breakfast, then travel to the centre. We trained at 8am which was a lighter session, and the group depended on who was at school or doing other stuff. On one of the days we done a tour of the training centre, then we had a tour of the stadium on the other afternoon.
“We would then train at 5:30pm, preparation, and then we headed out to training which included the full team.
“The drills were similar to what we do here, but the coaches are really keen on it being a high tempo and speed; they wanted quality to go alongside it, but there was a big emphasis on the tempo of the drill.
“We noticed in the first session in a passing drill that the standard wasn’t great and there were a lot of slack passes, and we looked around at each other in confusion, but the drill was more about making sure the passes were quick.
Meanwhile, Academy Director, Zeb Jacobs, added: “Our player exchange trips, which forms part of our High Potential Player Programme, fits perfect into our vision of creating the most exciting learning environment.
“Innovation is at the centre of what we do, and this is a great example of our outside-of-the-box thinking. It was a great first exchange and experience for the boys, and we are excited at how this will grow and further evolve.”