COLIN STEWART will reach his 20th anniversary at Rangers just weeks after the summer date which marks two decades of the Auchenhowie complex that is home from home away from Ibrox.
And the RYDC chief is confident the future can be bright for the club and the young talents that will emerge from an academy system that has benefitted from upgrades and investment in recent times.
Under the guidance of Ross Wilson, the Sporting Director, and Head of Academy Craig Mulholland, Rangers continue to put time and money towards producing their own stars of tomorrow.
READ: Rangers fans invest £450,000 in Auchenhowie academy thanks to RYDC donation
Stewart has donated more than £9million to the academy thanks to his work with the RYDC and is proud to have played his part in furthering the careers of players past and present.
Stewart told Herald and Times Sport: “I am 20 years at Rangers on November 12 this year and I remember going up to the academy for the first time and there was no grass, it was just all mud and dirt.
“So to see where we are now and to see the operation that Craig has built and created is terrific and I feel humbled to be able to see the work that he is doing. We have a professional setup in the academy, one that would rival any club anywhere in the world.
“What Craig and the staff have built there is incredible and I am proud have my played my small part from a financial viewpoint through the work of RYDC and doing what we do.
“It gives us a nice feeling to see so many players coming through, even the likes of Ross and Robby McCrorie from the age of 11 or 12. They come in, grow into men and become professional footballers and knowing that there is part of RYDC in that growth is very humbling.
READ: Craig Mulholland details Rangers academy highlights and progression despite Covid impact
“The operation and the staff that are there now, would that have been possible without the help of RYDC? Possibly, possibly not.
"But I like to think that we have contributed in some small way to the success of the academy and we want to continue playing our part.”
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here