Kris Boyd names Rangers youngster 'no worse than Hamza Igamane' who deserves shot
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Kris Boyd believes Rangers should look towards their youth academy for gems who are desperate to prove themselves.
The former Ibrox striker is sure there are kids at the club who will know they have what it takes to make a difference to Philippe Clement’s first-team if given a shot.
Boyd recalled being a young player at Kilmarnock where he was trusted to play a part which he duly accepted.
He would then win a move to Gers a few short years later and establish himself as the main man up top where he would break records in the Scottish top flight.
Clement and his squad are crying out for fresh talent and players good enough to make an immediate impact and Boyd turned towards the summer recruitment where he feels not enough real quality was brought to Auchenhowie.
And now after the promotion of Nils Koppen to technical director, Boyd challenged the Belgian to put his plans in action after he expressed a desire to utilise the youth system within Ibrox.
For a raging Boyd it has been a long time coming.
The likes of attacker Findlay Curtis has seriously impressed with his abilities in the B team and his stats beefing up every weekend.
And Boyd reckons the 18-year-old is one talent in particular the manager could integrate into the first-team as he would not offer much less than the current crop already do.
Boyd feels free-scoring Findlay Curtis could make an impact with Rangers’ first-team
Asked by the Scottish Sun to discuss the youth set-up, Boyd snapped: “It’s maybe a revamp of the youth department that’s needed.
“Something needs to change. They might be talented kids in there but the minute they get to an age, they can’t break through, they’re stifled.
“It might be that they’re good kids but making that next step isn’t easy. And if you look at it, history tells you you have to be exceptional.
“Is it just that Clement must pick a team to get a result due to pressure? I’ll flip it back and ask, would Finlay Curtis do any worse than (Hamza) Igamane right now? No.
“Not for me. And what I will say is that fans will look at it and say, ‘At least we’re giving one of our own an opportunity’. Not spending £1.5million, £2million on someone who we’ll develop.
“You don’t know, we all sit here as ex-players… we were given an opportunity years ago. Yes, we took it, but we were given the opportunity by someone.
“I was in a dressing room where there were older, experienced pros in there, but I always felt as if I had something different.
What Kris Boyd said about Nils Koppen promising to revamp Rangers’ youth set-up
“I always had that self-confidence, self-belief that I could bring something to the team. These young kids will be the same.
“You go back to Rangers and think of (Stephen) Dobbie, (Steven) MacLean, (Ross) McCormack, Peter McDonald, they went on to have good careers 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, a striker in the training centre, I’m looking and saying I’ve got an opportunity here.
“Go and give every single thing from your game for the next period of time for a chance of getting in there.”
