In the latest instalment of our Academy Monthly series, we reflect on the last month throughout the age groups.
Indeed, there was a special moment for Academy graduate Findlay Curtis who celebrated his league debut for the Light Blues in the 3-1 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle.
Bailey Rice, too, made his first start for the senior side in the Scottish Cup clash against Queen’s Park after featuring for the second 45 minutes in the rout of Ross County in Govan just eight days prior.
The Academy representation continues to grow in Barry Ferguson’s first-team squad, with the 18-year-old duo of Paul Nsio and Zander Hutton enjoying regular first-team exposure on the training pitch.
In the meantime, the development of the club’s Academy is strengthened the support of the Rangers Youth Development Company (RYDC), who presented their annual donation last month at the Rangers Training Centre.
Academy graduates Ross McCausland, Liam Kelly and Mason Munn were on hand to receive the £325,000 cheque, with RYDC contributing more than £12 million since 2002.
Elsewhere, the club’s loan group continues to catch the eye in the Scottish football pyramid, with Jay Hogarth joining Dunfermline Athletic on an emergency loan last month and Lewis Budinauckas making the temporary switch to Partick Thistle for the remainder of the campaign.
Darren McInally (Cumbernauld Colts) and Jacob Pazikas (Gala Fairydean Rovers) also hope to gain valuable minutes in the Lowland League this season and follow in the footsteps of the Academy’s strong loan crop.
Within that, Josh Gentles and Jack Harkness posted strong goal contributions in the month of February, while Archie Stevens, Blaine McClure, Leyton Grant and Kristian Webster have made strong impressions since joining their respective clubs on loan back in January.
A Rangers Under-19s side, meanwhile, also sealed their place in the semi-finals of the Glasgow Cup with a 3-1 triumph over Queen’s Park at the start of the months thanks to a brace from 16-year-old Alfie Hutchison.
The team, headed up by Steven Smith, were also in action against Luton Town at the Rangers Training Centre, running out 4-3 winners following a brace from Zander Hutton and strikes from Curtis and Nsio.
Smith’s Under-18s group also moved to the summit of the league standings with back-to-back victories over Dundee United; netting seven times across the two fixtures.
Additionally, the Light Blues were strongly represented in the Scotland Under-17s squad last month, with Alex Smith, Cameron Fernie, Aiden McCallion and Cormac Christie featuring in the side’s camp in Turkiye.
In Qatar, Rangers Under-16s returned to the prestigious Alkass International Cup following a four-year hiatus and wasted precious little time in making their mark in their opening group fixture with a 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders of the U.S.
The Light Blues then showed their resilience in draws against Aspire Academy of Qatar and Mohammed VI Football Academy of Morocco to book their place in the last four alongside PSG, Real Madrid and Seattle Sounders.
Indeed, PSG were the opposition for the young Gers as they bowed out in a 3-1 defeat to the French side, although the Light Blues bounced back impressively two days later to produce a clinical 4-1 triumph over Seattle to secure a podium finish.
In the meantime, the Academy’s strong Additional Games Programme saw the Under-10s square off against Burnley, while the Under-9s and Under-11s faced Everton and Sunderland.
The Under-10s side were invited to an evening at Edmiston House to celebrate their journey through the Academy, where there was a special guest appearance from Findlay Curtis.
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