Gers accused of 'blocking' pathway of top Ibrox talent as ex-teammate flourishes in Scotland
11/20/2024 06:30 AM
It's fair to say that Rangers legend Kris Boyd isn't happy with the appointment of Nils Koppen as the Ibrox club's new technical director.
The outspoken former Rangers striker, 41, has been reacting to the news that Koppen has been promoted at Rangers after only eleven months as director of recruitment.
Boyd is less than impressed by Koppen and took aim at the Belgian recruitment guru in an extraordinary rant via the Scottish Sun.
And the Rangers legend has also been lambasting the Ibrox club and its academy for 'blocking' the pathway of one of Scotland's top youngsters into the first-team.
Boyd has comparing the situations of ex-Motherwell youth Bailey Rice and former Academy teammate Lennon Miller.
As Miller is linked to the likes of Liverpool and now in his second season in the Steelmen's first-team, Rice is lingering in the Rangers reserves.
Rangers have 'blocked pathway' for Bailey Rice
"There might only be a chance of one or two, especially at Rangers or Celtic, make it into a first team," Boyd told the Sun. "You need to move them on up.
“Look at Lennon Miller right now, if he’s at Rangers… look at Bailey Rice. There wasn’t much between them at Motherwell.
“Rangers decided to take Rice and the pathway has been blocked for him.
“Whether he's good enough remains to be seen because he’s never really been in that first team environment.
“Lennon Miller now has more than a handful of first team games.
“He’s in that environment, he’s tested, he’s not the best player every week, but guess what, you’ve got opposition that need to stop you, because they’ve got mortgages to pay, they need their bonuses, they need to be in the team.
“You don’t get that with youth team football, you need to move them up."
Rangers academy kids challenged to step up
Whilst Kris Boyd has had some choice words about the appointment of Nils Koppen, the ex-Rangers striker does agree with the Belgian on one thing.
The state of the Rangers academy.
The Ibrox side are not producing enough talent which is going on to make an impact on the Scottish game and Koppen insists that's going to change under his stewardship.
Kris Boyd reckons that there are more opportunities than ever for young players at Rangers to make the grade and pointed to the challenges of the past.
Claiming that academy players during his heyday had to be 'exceptional' to make the grade at Rangers, Boyd has called on the current crop of youngsters to rise to the challenge.
“It’s maybe a revamp of the youth department that’s needed because something needs to change," said Boyd.
“There might be talented kids in there but as soon as they get to an age, its stifled. they cant make that breakthrough.
“They might be good kids but making that next step isn’t easy.
“if you look at history, you have to be exceptional.
“Going back to Rangers thinking about Dobbie, MacLean, McCormack – young strikers that came through.
“They went on to have a very good career elsewhere. They were trying to nudge five or six international players out of that starting XI, it was virtually impossible.
“That’s not the case anymore. If I’m a youngster right now, especially as a striker at the training centre, I’m looking at it thinking I’ve got an opportunity there, go and give every single thing to your game."
