COLIN STEWART is pleased to be able to play a part in helping the next crop of Light Blue kids realise their Rangers dreams.

In the last 14 years, the Rangers Youth Development Company have ploughed more than £7million into the Auchenhowie ranks to aid the progress of a string of young stars and it continues to raise cash as supporters invest in the future at Ibrox.

The likes of Allan McGregor, Alan Hutton and Charlie Adam have emerged from the Gers' talent production line to go on and star for club and country in recent years.

In August, the Greatest Ever Ranger, John Greig, joined the RYDC board and Director of Operations Stewart is determined to support Academy chief Craig Mulholland and his team in any way possible.

He told SportTimes: “I am delighted we can play our part, especially in the youth department. We are funding grass roots football, and not just at Rangers.

“There are few players out on loan helping other clubs just now and quite often we will watch a game and realise there are players playing against us who came through the ranks here.

“There are a high percentage of players who will make a career in football, some at Rangers and some at other clubs, and we are helping them on that path.

“Craig has done a fantastic job at Auchenhowie and Mark Warburton has shown that he will give younger players a chance.

“I am delighted we can give as much money as we can to the Youth Department and see it feed into the manager’s plans.

“I have always said to Craig we will try and give them as much money as we can. He and the Youth Department have been fantastic.

"In the last few years, you went to Auchenhowie thinking ‘what are we going to find here?’ but it is different now and everything is a lot more positive."