RANGERS manager Mark Warburton wants his established first-team faces to have the same hunger for learning as the schoolkids on the first rung of the youth set-up within the culture he is putting in place at Murray Park.

The former Brentford boss has taken a keen interest in the club's academy system since taking over the reins and has made it clear that age will be absolutely no barrier to a place in his side.

However, he is determined to eke much more out of the players he is bringing in on permanent transfers at the top of the structure with Andy Halliday and Danny Wilson still only 23 and Rob Kiernan and Wes Foderingham just a year older.

Every day is a schoolday for Warburton, who only entered management in December 2013 after a spell as first-team coach and sporting director at Griffin Park, and he wants that appetite for footballing education to spread from the youngest boys to the players he is picking every week.

"It's all about continuing their development," stated Warburton.

"This whole place here is about us creating an environment from the nine-year-old right through to the most senior player, which is conducive to them learning.

"If we can create that, with the right support network, we will be in a good place.

"I want young, hungry players who really want to be here, supplemented by one or two senior players who can play that mentoring role and help them through."

John Eustace remains one player he wants to take on that remit and points to the progress that Will Hughes, who went to the European Championship finals with England's Under-21s last month, made whilst operating beside him in the midfield at Derby County.

Eustace, four months away from his 36th birthday, has been on trial at Rangers as he attempts to prove his fitness following knee surgery in April with a decision on his future involvement moving ever closer.

"Hughes benefited enormously from playing alongside John Eustace," said Warburton.

"I hope he will have that same role here, but we will see how John comes on and we will talk in a couple of weeks' time.

"It is just a case of making sure that everything is right for all parties. It has got to be beneficial to all parties concerned.

"We are watching it and it is so far so good."

Certainly, everything is pointing towards younger players being given the opportunity to be part of a new-look Rangers.

Warburton has heard the criticisms of the youth system at Murray Park and there is no question that many of them are justified, but he reports himself content with everything that is currently in place under academy director Craig Mulholland.

"I did my homework before I came here," he said. "I did as much as I could in terms of people and knew about Craig.

"I am delighted with the academy because it is a top-class set-up. In my first day of taking training, a number of academy graduates were in the squad and that tells you all that you need to know.

"If there is no-one from the academy, we have an issue, but the way they handled themselves and their general manner was excellent. It speaks volumes for the academy and is great to see."

Warburton, of course, is in the process of talking to English clubs about taking players from their under-age squads to supplement what he has at Rangers.

Harry Winks and Ryan Fredericks at Spurs are just two names that have been mentioned despite Warburton stating that he would rather use someone from the Rangers Under-20s than a player brought in on a short-term basis from elsewhere.

"It's about getting the balance," said Warburton. "I've been really impressed with the academy and the players coming through, but, if we can use the loan market to our benefit, we will do it."

Warburton has been putting his players through double and triple sessions to get their fitness levels up to scratch and sees that as an essential component of getting them ready for the serious business ahead.

"It's boring and repetitive sometimes, but that's what it is," he said. "A bricklayer has to make sure he has his tools prepared and away he goes.

"This is no different. It's not some exclusive job.

"It's just another job where you have to be armed with everything that you need."

Warburton is also conscious of the need to rebuild the club's scouting network in the wake of damage done to the system in recent seasons, but he insists the process will not be rushed.

"We have to build it, but it's about getting the right people," he said. "It's not about quantity. It's about the people you get in, people who know what Craig and I are looking for in terms of raw material to work with.

"Those people are few and far between.

"It's not going to happen overnight. It's about building strong foundations because short-term fixes don't work. Simple as that."