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Young midfielder Kerr Robertson has received expert guidance from a number of talented coaches during his time at the club and is extremely grateful to have had the chance to work with former Ibrox stars Steven Smith and Kevin Thomson at the Rangers Academy.
He was mentored by Thommo when he first joined the club then enjoyed a couple of years working with ex-Light Blues defender Smith, a man who has been on exactly the same path Kerr is currently travelling.
The 19-year-old speaks intelligently about the game and it is clear he has a genuine thirst for knowledge and deep desire to do everything he possibly can to succeed in professional football.
The lessons he received from midfield hero Thomson and Academy graduate Smith, now a successful youth coach after two spells as a player here, have given him a solid grounding and Robertson dreams of following in their footsteps one day and progressing to the Rangers first-team.
In a wide-ranging interview as he showed his support for The Rangers Youth Development Company – who have donated more than £12 million to the Academy since 2002 – the young midfielder discusses his Gers journey so far.
He said: “It was a quick and easy decision to move to Rangers. I had a few other options but I was really happy to join and I’ve never looked back.
“Kevin Thomson was one of my first coaches here and I still have a great relationship with him. He was brilliant with me and really looked after me.
“I had been at his academy before and he is great to work with.
“He played on the biggest stage, coached and scored in Old Firm games so it was brilliant to learn from him.
“Stevie Smith has also been my coach for two or three years and I loved my time under him.
“I think it is important you can learn from guys who have done it. I still sit down with Stevie a lot and ask him questions as he has done what I want to do – progress from the Academy to the Rangers first-team.
“I just try and learn as much as I can and feed off his knowledge.
“He passes on good information and talks about what is was like to work under managers like Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and Paul Le Guen.
“Stevie did it the hard way when he young as he was trying to step into an elite team and he has such valuable knowledge to pass on.
“You’ve got to tap into that and it’s something I always try and do.
“It intrigues me to learn how it was in the past when he was playing and how he feels about youth development now.
“He has been such a great help to me in so many ways. I was injured for 6 months with a Sportsman’s Hernia and he had that multiple times when he was a young player.
“So he knew exactly what I was going through and his advice and guidance were brilliant. I can’t thank him enough really.
“I was only about 12 when I worked with Kevin here but I remember it well. He played in midfield like me of course and he joined in on training a few times.
“He was incredible and was firing the ball into the top corner of the net all the time.
“I had just walked in the door at Rangers and he was amazing with me. The best thing you can have is coaches like that. I loved it and still have a good relationship with him.
“So I feel I am on a good path here. I was at Forth Valley with Leyton Grant and Zander Hutton and we have progressed to the 18s and the B Team.
“A lot of hard work and sacrifice is needed and it will continue, you can’t just stop working when you reach the B Team.
“It has been a brilliant journey and I have been lucky enough to have been involved in some great experiences and work with great coaches – not just Stevie and Kevin but Malky Thomson and Davie McCallum too.
“I feel I have developed as a player and a person here and I’ve had so many positive experiences that have helped my development.
“Everything is here for us and you can’t fault the facilities.
“You just have to be wise, be a sponge and feed off everybody because ultimately the staff are here for us.
“They are here to help us on this journey so we have to use it all.
“I always come in and work hard, do the extras and sacrifice a lot to try to succeed.
“You have to make sure you give everything.
“It comes from an enjoyment of doing it. I just want to come in here and play football.
“I’ve always been like that and I get a buzz from working hard and knowing I have done extra work.
“You have to do that every day
“Every game is a different challenge here. You could be playing a European team or a team from down south then Stenhousemuir in the SPFL Trust Trophy.
“I’ve also played in the Hong Kong 7s with Rangers so they are all different learning experiences and challenges which I enjoy.
“You have to take everything you can from that.
“For example, I had never played against a men’s team until this season and you learn from that too. All these valuable experiences will help my career.
“First-team players have played in B Team games this season and I got to play a few with Ianis Hagi. You could see his quality up close and you feed off that and learn from players like him.
“I’ve also trained with the first-team a few times and it has been really good.
“I definitely feel like I am capable of being round there.
“The main difference is physically the players are all monsters. They are all athletes and that’s the gap I need to keep working to bridge.
“They do things so much quicker and you don’t get time on the ball so you have to keep working hard and be ready to take your opportunities.
“Every time I’ve trained with them I have really enjoyed it.
“You need to try and make your mark and that is hard to do as you are training with senior pros who have played hundreds of games. But you have to try and stand out.
“You see familiar faces you have trained with in Academy in the past so it is good they are there.
“I would love to have a career here. Obviously the vast majority don’t so you have to be open-minded and work hard.
“Ultimately, though, we all want a career in the game at a good level.
“Luck plays a part in football. You can make your own luck and you have to be ready to take your chance.
“Ross McCausland did that last season when he came on at St Mirren when Zak Lovelace got injured.
“You need the right people to see you at the right time and for someone to take a punt on you basically.
“You have to hope the manager sees you having a good game for the B Team or you catch his eye in training.
“You want to put yourself in the position to train with the first-team and be consistent in your levels.
“So I will keep working hard, keep trying to play as well as I can in games, train well, work in the gym and do everything I can to progress.”
Kerr’s development is assisted by annual RYDC donations to the Rangers Academy and more than £12 million has already been provided.
Profit from RYDC’s online store and products like Rangers Lotto, Stadium Bricks and The Union Jackpot draw all go to the Academy, while profit from Museum Lotto is donated to the club for the upkeep and maintenance of the Rangers Museum.
CLICK HERE to play Rangers Lotto
CLICK HERE to play The Union Jackpot
CLICK HERE to buy Rangers Bricks
CLICK HERE to buy Rangers Scratchcards
CLICK HERE to play Museum Lotto
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