Out Of Our Comfort Zone

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THE RANGERS Academy side in Holland this weekend will play their first match of the short trip today and Craig Mulholland says it’s the perfect way for the players to continue their education.

 

Billy Kirkwood’s under-17 side will play FC Volendam today and AZ Almaar tomorrow and the experience of playing ‘best vs best’ is always vitally important at the Gers Academy.

 

Speaking before the squad headed to Holland this weekend, Rangers Head of Academy Craig Mulholland explained the importance of challenging the youngsters.

 

 

 

He said: “It’s purely about taking the players out of their comfort zones and playing against a different type of player, both in terms of the physical side of it, but also in the tactical and technical side which they maybe just don’t always get at home.

 

“From our point of view, if we had wanted to win games and leagues then we wouldn’t have played the under-17s up in the 20s the way we have. We don’t want to hold boys back in their development.

 

“If winning leagues and trophies happens then great, but if not, our main focus is on getting players ready for the first team.

 

“The fact that Liam Burt, who is an under-17s player has been on the first team bench shows that is much more of a priority than winning any youth league at Rangers.”

 

Mulholland has high hopes for the Gers side that are away in Holland and the experiences of playing at different age groups and against different opposition is crucial to the development of a group that the Academy thinks is very talented.

 

He continued: “A lot of these under-17s boys will have had experience of playing in the under-20 League this season which is important.

 

“The seventeens group we have really high expectations for – we even have an under 15s player who is travelling with the group, so that example shows the kinds of challenges that we are setting for players.”

 

http://rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/out-of-our-comfort-zone/