The Rangers coach who masterminded PSG’s downfall delivers no-nonsense message to Premiership bosses

Why aren’t Scottish clubs producing talented youngsters?

It feels like it’s been a perennial question in this country for far too long. But Cameron Campbell isn’t buying it. The Scot, who now works in RB Leipzig’s academy, has seen it with his own eyes when he was Rangers’ Under-18’s coach.

According to Campbell, the talent IS there. Ability-wise, he believes Scottish players can go toe-to-toe with any of Europe’s top kids. But there’s one thing they do lack. Opportunity. Even national team boss Steve Clarke talked about it before the Nations League clash with Croatia on Friday night.

And recent stats appear to back it up. The percentage of minutes given to Scottish U21’s in our top flight this season are alarming. Motherwell – who boast the prodigious Lennon Miller as their poster boy – are way ahead on 18 per cent. The rest? Kilmarnock are at seven, Ross County four and Dundee United three. As for our top three clubs, Celtic, Rangers and Aberdeen all sit at zero per cent.

It makes for depressing reading and follows an SFA report highlighting the dearth of youngsters making an impact in the Scottish Premiership. But Campbell says it has nothing to do with talent. He’s coached a Rangers team who beat mega-rich French big boys PSG in a foreign youth tournament. So, at a certain age, Scots kids can compete with anyone.

But it’s the failure to give these boys a chance at first-team level that appears to be holding us back. Campbell, who is the Leipzig academy’s head of player development, told Record Sport: “It all comes down to needing two things. Talent and opportunity.

“What frustrates me is when everyone talks about the gap (between youth and first-team) like it’s unattainable. It’s the academy’s job to produce players