IF you are good enough, you are old enough. For a handful of players at Rangers, the adage may well be put to the test sooner rather than later. For two of Mark Warburton’s squad, age is proving to be just a number.

The Englishman’s background in youth development means he will always take a look into the Auchenhowie Academy but it is the Ibrox veterans that have caught his eye this season. All going to plan, Kenny Miller and Clint Hill, 37 and 38 respectively, will still be around next term as well.

The pair may be in the twilight of their careers but they are shining lights for Rangers and their advancing years will not come into consideration in the final months of the contracts. On and off the park, Miller and Hill have led by example and Warburton will have no hesitation about retaining their services for another Premiership campaign.

“I think they have been outstanding,” he said. “Forget their age. They have the experience that comes with that, but their level of performance week in week out has been first class.

“You have got to admire them. It is no coincidence with the way they train, how they work, how they prepare. Kenny and Clint are two of the first out every day and that tells you a lot about their attitude and they are reaping the rewards.

“I have no doubt about their quality and it is a pleasure to have them on board here. They enjoy playing for Rangers, Kenny is a Rangers man, but Clint has come in at 38 and is playing in front of 50,000 people. They are the biggest crowds of his life at 38 so long may that continue

“The discussions go on. The focus is on January but my opinion in terms of what [assistant] David [Weir] and I and the staff here think of those two guys is very clear.”

The moves to keep Miller and Hill at Rangers may not be long-term thinking but Warburton has started to consider what lies ahead next season. His immediate focus is how to ensure his side finish second behind Celtic and the Englishman must then ponder whether it will be possible to overhaul Brendan Rodgers’ side and prevent seven-in-a-row.

The arrivals of Emerson Hyndman and Jon Toral on loan are designed to aid the bid to be best of the rest this term, but players that add the required strength and depth for next season could prove harder to acquire in the coming weeks.

“We have to but it is not easy,” Warburton said when asked if he was already looking at targets for next season. “There are things that the public don’t understand, and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. They see a fee sometimes but there are agents involved and fees involved and sell-ons involved. There is so much more on a contract that is not made aware.

“Very often, the media paint a picture of that number. No it is not, it is a million miles away from it. You can’t divulge information of that nature.

“Pre contracts are important, we have got to look at every avenue to get the right players. What we can’t do is go and spend £10 million, £15 million because that is not the right thing to do.”

The financial disparity between the respective halves of the Old Firm mean Warburton will have to shop smart in the transfer market if he is to assemble a squad capable of winning a Premiership crown. He has transformed the first-team ranks in the last 18 months but further investment is required.

Rather than head to England or abroad for players, Warburton could soon be able to just nip round the corner at Auchenhowie. Where Barrie McKay has lead, the Gers boss hopes many more will follow as he looks for his Academy graduates to make a pitch for a starting jersey.

“Craig Mulholland and his team are doing a great job and Graeme Murty has done a great job,” Warburton said. “There was a void there. You should be able, when it is working, to dip in and get them out. There are some real talents coming through, like Liam Burt, Jack Thomson, Billy Gilmour. Billy was outstanding for the 20s the other night.

“But they are 15, 16, 17 and still babies for the first team. But in the future we need to be able to dip in there. You get three or four high quality players in and those players will help our young players. Good young players thrive by playing with better senior players.

“I know we can invite boys in now who can deal with first team training, which at 15, 16, 17 is a tremendous compliment to them. They can deal with it but we have to challenge them at the right time. It is about getting the balance right but we need that pool to dip in to.”

The work to produce the next generation of Gers stars has continued throughout the winter shutdown but the focus will shift back to Warburton’s side in Germany this afternoon.

The friendly with RB Leipzig will be Rangers’ only action of the January break and their only preparation for the Scottish Cup meeting with Motherwell next weekend. Around 8000 fans will make the trip to the Red Bull Arena and Warburton is confident the occasion will stand his side in good stead.

“I am stunned,” Warburton said of the Light Blues travelling support. “A Premier League manager said to me ‘it is a Sunday afternoon, it is on television, it is in Leipzig in the middle of January and there are how many going?’ All joking apart, it is a fantastic, unbelievable backing.

“There are no gimmie games with Rangers, no easy games with Rangers because you always have that responsibility. The more we can play in those quality of stadia, with those quality of tests and with those fans behind us the better.”