Rangers unveil new training complex

Murray and Advocaat officially open Murray Park

Rangers chairman David Murray unveiled the club's new £14m training ground on Wednesday and promised that the benefits of the investment would soon be evident.

The complex at Auchenhowie on the outskirts of Glasgow will be named Murray Park - after the chairman - and will offer the club's players the very best in training and rehabilitation facilities.

The club will also base their new youth academy at Auchenhowie - a move Murray believes will provide huge benefits for Rangers' future.

The only time Rangers players will now see Ibrox is on match days.

If the club has a future we must train our own players

  David Murray
Rangers chairman

"It is not only significant for Rangers, but for Scottish football it was long overdue and needed," said Murray.

"It is something every Rangers supporter can be very proud of.

"Cricket grounds and muddy rugby pitches are not the places to put £50m or £60m worth of players."

Murray Park covers 38-acres and includes six full-size pitches, two half-size, an indoor pitch and training centre.

It is split into two halves: one area devoted to the first team squad and the other for youth development.

Medical equipment available to club doctor Gert Jan Goudsward is state-of-the-art, while a £50,000 video editing suite will see Dick Advocaat linked to a camera operator by walkie-talkie during each training session so footage can be shown in a lecture room afterwards.

Murray acknowledged the role played by Advocaat in the creation of the new complex - its creation was something the Dutchman insisted upon if he was to stay at Ibrox.

Murray acknowledged Advocaat's input

"He gave it added impetus," admitted Murray.

"If the club has a future, we must train our own players - it is something we have not done enough of recently and hopefully that will happen more now."

Murray insisted that he would have no qualms about getting out the cheque-book again if he or Advocaat thought that was necessary.

"If we have got to spend £5m or £6m a player we will do that," he added.

Murray and Advocaat were speaking on the day the first team squad flew out to Holland for a pre-season tour.

Rangers' latest signing, Russell Latapy, told BBC Scotland before he left that he was looking forward to a successful career with his new club.

"It's every player's dream to play for a club like Rangers," said the former Hibs favourite.

"I'm happy to have this opportunity and now I want to concentrate on contributing to the goodness of the club."

Latapy denied saying that Rangers were bigger than Celtic, adding that he saw them both as massive clubs.