Hearts are the visitors to the Rangers Training Centre, kick-off 4pm, as the Gers look to kick off their league exploits with a victory.
The new league replaces the Under-18 category within the CAS structure and sees matches played on Monday and Tuesday, offering minutes to young players who were in matchday squads for their respective first-teams at the weekend.
The Gers finished runners-up last campaign, and although Smith concedes his group will be younger than in previous years, he insists the expectation doesn’t change.
Speaking to the official Rangers website ahead of the start of the league campaign, he commented: “We will be a younger team, but I would imagine a lot of the other teams will be the same.
“We’re going to need to get a feel for what it’s like at the beginning because a lot of things have changed, moving from Under-17s to Under-19s and a few of the boys going out on loan.
“When we get to that point, we’ll be ready, and the young players who have come in have been excellent.
“There will be a lot of second-year Under-18s in the building too, so they know what it’s like and what the expectation is. It’s always the same for us: we’re going in to win it.”
The Under-19 group boast an eclectic games programme this term and have already begun their KDM Evolution Trophy league phase campaign.
It’s a nine-team league this year, with clubs squaring off against each other home and away, and Smith believes his young side must strive for consistency across the campaign regardless of personnel.
He added: “It’s why I’ve enjoyed the 2007-born players still being in the building for pre-season because they’re at a point in their career where they need to be consistent.
“If they’re not consistent now, then they won’t survive in a men’s environment.
"Having them in the group shows the younger players the level that they need to get to, and although there are days when they’re still inconsistent, through time they will definitely get there.”
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