Peter Huistra has said that if Glasgow Rangers were to follow the blueprint of Ajax, they could move past Celtic within the next two or three years.
Huistra had a very successful spell at Ibrox between 1990 and 1995 after moving to the club following a £300,000 switch from FC Twente – he helped the Gers win the league five times in a row. Not only that, he also won the Scottish League Cup twice, as well as one Scottish Cup.
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He has been talking about how the Gers can catch and surpass their fierce city rivals, and he cited four-time European Cup/Champions League winners De Godenzonen, Porto and Red Bull Salzburg as examples of how to do that. He said:
“Rangers have improved a little bit every year since they have returned to the top division. Every season they have got a little bit closer to Celtic. If they keep the momentum they have built up going then I believe in the next two or three years they will be past Celtic.
“They’re not back to where they were yet. When I was there we won everything (Rangers lifted five consecutive Scottish titles between 1990 and 1995 when Huistra was in the team). But if they keep on going they way they have been, keep working together and keep making the right decisions on which players to take to the club, they will get there.
“Rangers have to say what kind of club they want to be in the European game. It is completely different to when I was there. There was big money, there was investment and they brought in top international players who had played for their country at the World Cup. Now they can’t do that. They need a different strategy.
“They have to be more like Ajax to succeed in the game today. I have been at their academy in Glasgow and I thought there was a lot of talent there. They have to develop them. They have to make sure these players are ready to play in the first team. For me, it is the only way to do something.
“They should look at teams like Red Bull Salzburg, Ajax and Porto and try to emulate their success. There are always ways. It is possible. They need to keep investing in good young players. Of course, they need the right manager on board to develop these players as well. But I believe in Steven Gerrard, who came through the youth ranks at Liverpool, they have the man to do that.”
Indeed, there does appear to be a lot of talent at Ibrox – Billy Gilmour used to play for the Gers before he moved to Chelsea, and he now has two Premier League starts under his belt even though he has just turned 19, whilst both Kai Kennedy and Cole McKinnon are attracting interest from clubs in the English top flight.
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Charlie Lindsay and James Graham have been added to the youth squad, as well – it shows that the 54-time Scottish champions are planning for the future. After winning nine titles in a row, Celtic are some way ahead of Steven Gerrard’s side at the moment, but there is no reason why the Gers can’t close that gap by developing their young talent.
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