Rangers Academy chief explains how Gers B team will operate in historic campaign

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Rangers Academy chief Craig Mulholland has given some insight into how the club’s B team will work as the players returned to training ahead of the season getting underway in a fortnight.

The Gers and Old Firm rivals will field B teams in the Lowland League for the first time this season and Mulholland confirmed the B team is “in essence” the third team at the club with a group of players still somewhere between the Academy sides and first-team level.

That includes young talents like Josh McPake, Stephen Kelly, Leon King and Kai Kennedy who are all likely to head out on loan to clubs at a higher level this term.

Mulholland confirmed that the B team would primarily be made up of under-19s as they compete in the Lowland League, SPFL Trust Trophy and Glasgow Cup this season – with some also likely to feature in the UEFA Youth League.

Rangers B just three weeks away from historic season opener

The Ibrox youth guru has put countless hours in to make Rangers’ B team ambition a reality and will be delighted to see them finally get underway on July 17 when they host Bo’ness United.

Speaking to Rangers TV, Mulholland explained some of the detail behind how Rangers will operate their B team this season as the players returned to training this week.

“We call it our B-team but in essence there is probably a group above that before we get to the first-team. The lads that have been on loan to Championship level or Premiership level will continue to do that.

“We have a group round with the first-team at the moment and they will either stay with the first-team or they will actually move to loan opportunities at the higher level.

“I think that is really important for us because previously we had boys on loan in League One and League Two but we are now getting boys to Championship or Premiership level.

“The group that we will have in the Lowland League is more of an under-19 group, some of our best under-18’s will play in it and some of our under-20’s as well.”