WALTER SMITH insists a dearth of talent in Scotland is responsible for the lack of youngsters successfully coming through the ranks at Rangers – not the club's youth policy.
The manager believes the country is simply no longer producing players of the same calibre that graced football grounds two decades ago.
He claims that throwing youngsters into the first team these days is simply too big a gamble at a club like Ra
ngers where demands are constantly being made to deliver instant success.
Addressing shareholders at yesterday's annual general meeting at Ibrox, Smith explained his take on the situation after being quizzed on the lack of talented youngsters making the grade at Rangers.
"That question gets asked quite a lot and obviously it's the person who is responsible for the selection of the team who has to look at the reasons for that," said Smith.
"There are deep-rooted reasons. One of the problems we have is the amount of talent available to us in Scotland.
"At Rangers, we have a situation where we have to win and that's a pressure that's on the manager. We have one or two boys at the moment who may, next season, be involved in our group. But it's a very difficult decision for a manager to make.
"There are very, very few young players in Scotland just now who reach the level that's required to come in and play for Rangers – or Celtic for that matter.
"There are a few, there is no doubt about that. But it is very difficult in an environment where we are not creating the same number of players that we used to.
"A coach can't make a player or else we wouldn't have £35 million transfers.
"This is the problem that we have in Scotland, that overall we are not producing the same number of players that we did 20 and 30 years ago, when, due to the level of poverty, all we ever did was play football.
"It's not just a problem we have at Rangers – we have it in Scotland. Our youth policy at Rangers, I think, is as good as anywhere.
"The problem we have is the amount of kids who are not good enough to come in and play for Rangers.
"That's something that's deeper than the professional game in Scotland, it goes right down to educational authorities and a lack of sports funding in Scotland."
The full article contains 411 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
