Rangers manager Philippe Clement said that the team could have to acquire Scottish players in order to meet their European quota, but that money might also be required for “other things.”
The manager of the Light Blues gave academy product Cole McKinnon greater playing time as his team defeated Hibs 2-0 in the Scottish Cup quarterfinal. With goals from Fabio Silva and John Lundstram to complete the progression, focus is now on Europe.
They are up 2-2 in their Europa League last 16 matchup with Benfica as they play their second leg at Ibrox. While praising McKinnon, Clement acknowledges that certain Rangers players have missed out on playing in Europe because the organisation hasn’t had enough homegrown players.
If they can’t be developed at Auchenhowie, he acknowledges that some could need to be bought, but Clement gave a playful hint that money might be moving elsewhere. “I am very positive about Cole; otherwise, you would not have given him minutes against Benfica, and you would not have come in today either,” the Belgian stated.
“Although he is still a young boy, he has demonstrated a really high work ethic and approach in training. He has also been improving each month, which is encouraging. My goal is to try and win every game—that’s why it’s crucial. However, it’s equally critical to me to nurture young players, provide them opportunities, and watch them improve.
“It is crucial for Scottish football that young players are given opportunities and allowed to develop. We should investigate that for our European team, as we were missing a number of players due to either a lack of Scottish players on the roster or the necessity to purchase them. However, we may require our
“Or we need to build them ourselves over the next couple of years and that is one of my objectives, to get players out of the academy who can grow to become Rangers first XI players.”
