Rangers heroes set to make emotional Ibrox returns as Nils Koppen reveals masterplan to fix big issue

Nils Koppen has revealed some Rangers heroes are being targeted for club returns as he begins a new role as technical director.

Currently operating as the club’s Director of Recruitment, he will oversee transfer strategy at Rangers while taking responsibility for Rangers’ Academy, medical, football operations, performance and analysis departments.

Currently, Rangers do not have a permanent head of academy, and have handed zero minutes in the Premiership to Scottish players under the age of 21. Koppen has revealed that players of the past at Rangers will be sought under his regime as he unveiled his youth production masterplan.

He told Rangers TV: “I think first of all, we have to fill in the key positions within the academy to ensure that we'll be ready for the future. And that we can be a productive academy by bringing players through to the first team.I think there's a lot of good work done already in the last years within the academy. But we cannot be satisfied with the general output of the academy.

“We still have to improve or we still have to make steps. We have to keep on creating room for our own academy players to make the step to the first team. We can do that by a better squad build up for the first team, to give them the opportunity to step up and be a part of that. I think one of the objectives will still be to sign the best talent out of Scotland, to maintain our best talents. I'm sure we've got a lot of good talents already in the building.

“We're facing a challenge with the B team. We're just not an ideal platform, so it's on us to try to get the best challenges and opportunities for the boys in our club. What we want to do is decrease age to make a step to the first team, to make their breakthrough. We want to do that by strategic partnerships with other clubs.

“By changing our own philosophy, by bringing the players on a younger age. Expose them to the first team training environment to give them the opportunity to show themselves and make the right steps at the right moment. I think what we also have don’t forget that we're a Scottish club. We have to educate players not only for our first team but also in general for the Scottish game, something what we have to pay more attention on.

“That the output also, if they cannot make it here as a pro, that they will be able to be a professional football player at the highest Scottish level. We really have to improve that. One of the things where I'm looking at is maybe adding in some ex-professional Rangers players to increase that level of DNA, that level of detail. Players that were in this building, been a part of it and know what it's about. That's something that's going to be key in the years to come.”