Rangers have announced the appointment of Zeb Jacobs as the club's new academy director.
Belgian Jacobs was initially recruited to Rangers in 2021 to become head of academy Coaching, with current manager Michael Beale, then first-team coach, involved in attracting him to the club.
Before joining Rangers, Jacobs was head of development at Royal Antwerp FC, and helped produce several exciting young players, which contributed to them winning an unprecedented Belgian League and Cup double just last season.
A clubs statement added: "Jacobs is also a leading' football expert' and consultant for Double Pass, the renowned organisation which assesses, advises and educates national associations, leagues, clubs and individuals on optimising their talent development.
"Since joining Gers, Jacobs has been involved in developing the Academy strategy to create the most exciting talent in Scotland. This has seen the implementation of a unique player development environment with clear principles to nurture talent. At the same time, he has also developed and implemented a unique methodology to create players who have technical excellence, make creative decisions and are '1v1' dominant."
Upon his appointment, Jacobs commented: "I am excited about this new chapter as the Academy Director of Rangers Football Club. The opportunity to develop the best young talent in Scotland is incredibly exciting, and I am ready to make a lasting impact.
With the resources and elite infrastructure already in place, I firmly believe that our Academy has the potential to become world-leading in player development. My vision is crystal clear: ‘create the most exciting learning environment in sports'. By maximising the potential of every player and nurturing their skills, we aim to produce a new generation of players who can excel not only for Rangers in Scotland but also on the European stage.
"My relationship with Michael Beale, our CEO and board is already very strong, and we will look to use that to maximise the pathway from the Academy to the first-team. I am grateful for this opportunity and truly excited for the bright future ahead."
Incoming CEO, James Bisgrove, continued: "I'd like to firstly congratulate Zeb on his appointment. Michael Beale and I, along with other key colleagues from the football department, led a thorough and diligent recruitment process to identify our next Academy Director, with Zeb the outstanding candidate.
"Zeb will bring constant innovation and a clear vision to the role, and his strong collaborative relationship with Michael Beale and the first team staff will ensure a direct link and pathway between the Academy and Men's first team that will flourish for many years.
The Rangers Academy has produced some of the leading talents in the Scottish game in recent seasons, and we're confident that Zeb is well placed to create an environment for the next crop of talent to thrive and reach the Rangers first team.
"Our Academy is a truly elite environment, and the brilliant work of all Academy staff, past and present, has laid a strong foundation for Zeb and the wider Academy staff, including David McCallum [B Team Head Coach], to accelerate this progress and ensure that our youth football development programme is the unrivalled leader in the Scottish game."
