Rangers appoint Arbroath keeper Derek Gaston as academy coach
Rangers have appointed current Arbroath number one Derek Gaston as their new academy goalkeeping coach, report the Scottish Sun.
The 34-year-old has made 33 appearances in all competitions this season as Arbroath bid for promotion to the Scottish Premiership which could see him play against his new employers.
Not the Old Firm report that the keeper has been in “stunning form” and has kept 11 clean sheets in the second tier.
The former Greenock Morton player said in quotes via the Sun: “I’m delighted to get this chance.
“We’ve got a lot of promising youngsters coming through the ranks.
“My job is to develop them into the best they can be and aim for the very top.”
Unique position
With Dick Campbell’s side currently two points clear at the top of the Championship with a game in hand there is a very real chance that the shot-stopper could go into a game next season being paid by both teams.
The Sun reports he has previously been a youth coach at Kilmarnock, who incidentally are the closest challengers for the league-lead currently, so he will have experience of a fairly unique professional set up.
And the move is sure to benefit the next generation of Gers goalkeepers to be learning from a current player who is in the midst of the best run of his career.
It is not often that a side can look for an in form player and headhunt them to come and coach while they are still playing but that looks to be the situation here.
Quite how committed he can be to both roles at once has to be a question though as, no matter how mentally tuned in he might be, time and distance could take its toll, with close to 100 miles between Glasgow and Arbroath.
If he is able to juggle the two Gaston is now in position to effectively win the top two divisions of Scottish football at the same time if the Light Blues can overall Celtic and the Smokies can old off the chasing pack.
In other Rangers news, the manager is reaping the rewards of allowing his star attacking pair more freedom on the pitch.