With significant development in the Women’s first-team over the last few years, this next step aims to help to create a clearer pathway to professional football for young girls in Scotland.
This week, Women’s and Girls’ Football Manager Amy McDonald and Girls’ Academy Manager Kevin Murphy sat down with RangersTV to discuss the changes, the reasons behind them and the support for players and staff over this period.
Amy McDonald said: “We currently have five Academy teams and in line with an ongoing review this will reduce to three.
“Everything in Scotland used to be amalgamated, so recreational and elite were sat together and it feels that now is the right time to be able to separate that off.
“For those players that want to be and aspire to be a professional football player it is important that they have a really clear pathway and those that want to go and spend time with their friends and be happy, fit and healthy can go and enjoy that.
Girl’s Academy Manager Kevin Murphy explained what stage the restructure is currently at, he added: “We entered into a period of consultation in the summer of this year and we gave information to the players, parents and staff that changes were likely to happen towards the end of the year.
“We are at a stage now where everyone has been consulted, that process is still ongoing with the staff and the final decisions of players being retained will happen in December.
“Although it is difficult and it always is difficult when you see young players leaving an Academy, we will make sure we give them the best support.
“That is the hardest thing we are having to navigate through and it is really important that the players get the care and support that they need. We are very fortunate here that we have a player care team that will be with them every step of the way should they need it.”
With the women’s game growing rapidly, Amy McDonald feels it is now vital the country is able to produce the next generation of elite female players.
She explained: “It is huge and it is not just a responsibility of Rangers it is the responsibility of the Scottish Football Association. Women's football is in such rapid growth in Scotland and we need to be able to have the structure and the support mechanisms in place for young girls to ensure they can actually achieve their ambition of playing professionally.
“We would love for that to be in Scotland but we would also love to be able to produce the next Erin Cuthbert so it feels like it is the time for everyone to work together to come to a consensus about the best way to develop female elite youth players and find a way forward.”
A subscription to RangersTV starts from just £6 per month, and provides not only exclusive access to the club’s teams, but also original feature videos and documentaries, our incredibly popular Inside Ibrox and Away Days shows and our extensive archive of match action from through the years.
MyGers members will also be awarded 25 points for purchasing an annual standard subscription, and 40 for an annual unlimited subscription.
Every MyGers membership contributes to the success of the first team as MyGers membership revenue goes directly towards the first team investment.