Ambitious director pricks ears of legendary ex-Gers trio in pledge to replace Feyenoord man
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Nils Koppen claims that he is looking to add more Rangers DNA to the club's academy as he prepares to overhaul the current set-up at Auchenhowie.
The ambitious Belgian recruitment guru, 39, is delighted after earning a promotion to the role of Rangers technical director where Koppen will oversee all of the Ibrox club's footballing departments.
One of those areas which falls under Koppen's remit is the Rangers academy and the ex-PSV chief insists a shake-up is needed if the club is to maximise Auchenhowie's potential.
As part of that, Rangers could look to recruiting former players to help embed the principles of Ibrox life into the blood of the club's brightest prospects.
Koppen is also focused on replacing outgoing academy director Zeb Jacobs, who left to take up a new head of academy role with Dutch outfit Feyenoord in the summer.
Ultimately, it's about developing more youngsters who can make an impact on the first-team and Koppen has been detailing his plans to RangersTV.
Nils Koppen on improving Rangers academy
"I think first of all we have to fill in the key positions within the academy to ensure that will be ready for the future," said Koppen.
"That we can be a productive academy by bringing players through to the first team.
"I think there's a lot of good work to been done already in the last years within the academy but we cannot be satisfied with the general output of the academy.
"We still have to improve and we still have to make steps in and we have to keep on creating room for our own academy players to make the step to the first-team.
"We can do that by a better squad build up to the first team to give them the opportunity to step up and be a part of that.
"I think one of the objectives will be to sign the best talent in Scotland and to maintain our best talents, because I'm sure we've got a lot of good talent already in the building.
"We're facing a challenge with the B team where there's not an ideal platform so it's on us to get try and get the best challenges and opportunities for the boys in our club.
"What we want to do is decrease age to make the step to the first-team, to make their breakthrough.
"We want to do that by strategic partnerships with other clubs, by changing our own philosophy, by bringing the players on a younger age and exposing them to the first-team training environment, to give them the opportunity to show themselves and make the right steps at the right moments."
Nils Koppen wants more 'Rangers DNA'
Nils Koppen has also spoken before about the need for Rangers to get a better grip on the top young talent in Scottish football.
Whether it has been in the club's academy or first-team, several of the Scottish game's best talents have slipped through Rangers fingers in recent seasons.
It's led to Koppen previously pledging to sign one top Scottish talent per season and the Ibrox technical director touched on the Scottish identity at Rangers in the interview.
Also claiming that the club could look to ex-players to come into the building and re-establish the Ibrox DNA, these are comments which might well prick the ears of Barry Ferguson, Kevin Thomson and Peter Lovenkrands.
All three are currently out of work and have both the experience of coaching at various levels of football and of winning at Rangers.
"What we also don't have to forget is that we're a Scottish club," said Koppen.
"We have to educate players not only for our first-team but also in general for the Scottish game.
"It's something that we have to pay more attention on. That the output also, if they cannot make it up here as a pro then they will be able to be a professional football player at the Scottish highest level.
"We really have to improve that.
"One of the thing things that I'm looking at is maybe adding in some ex-professional Rangers players to increase that level of DNA, that level of detail.
"Players that were in this building, have been a part of it and know what it's about.
"That's something that's going to be key in the years to come."
