Rangers’ Youth Academy players were put through their paces earlier this month with a full day of intensive army training at Glencorse Barracks.
The group of 50 professional footballers were pushed to their limits by the team in charge of keeping Royal Regiment of Scotland’s 2nd Battalion (2 SCOTS) in fighting shape.
Physical Training Instructor Sergeant John Fleming and his team, who are used to training the country’s infantry soldiers, met the 16-21 year olds at the barracks for a series of physical and mental challenges.
The Rangers’ footballers were given the ‘full army treatment’, and were tested on their fitness, mental stamina, problem-solving and communication skills in high-pressure environments.
Sgt. Fleming, Physical Training Instructor at 2 SCOTS, said: “This intensive training is focused on allowing the team to learn about themselves and each other in a high-stress, unfamiliar setting.
“The training is tough and acts as a reality check for even the fittest of people, but provides invaluable insights into the discipline and resilience required at the highest-level of physical training.”
Rangers Academy Education Executive, Carolanne Gay: “As an Academy we are more than just football development, and strongly believe in offering the correct combination of challenges and education to develop our young athletes.
“Within our Professional Development Phase, we have a responsibility to aid personal growth within the players football journey on and off the pitch, and our recent visit to Glencorse Barracks took these players out of their comfort zone and into a hard-hitting inspiring environment.
“The experience provided some intense team building tasks, and we hope generated some thought-provoking employment opportunities away from football. We ultimately aim for our young athletes to become leaders, role models and lifelong learners, which we feel this valuable experience has enhanced.”
The youth players, who trained for a full long were joined by their coaching staff, including ex-pros David McCallum and Steven Smith.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
