Peter Lovenkrands hopes his first coaching job with Rangers could one day lead to the manager’s office at Ibrox.

The former Gers forward has landed a job working with the club’s youth academy.

The retired Denmark international missed out on a role with first-team boss Pedro Caixinha’s backroom staff after he was overlooked in favour of old team-mate Jonatan Johansson.

But he believes his new post could be the first step towards him one day landing the Light Blues’ top job. 

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He said: “I’m very excited and looking forward to the challenge. I got asked to come in and do the interviews for the assistant coach job for the first team and I missed out on that - and of course that was hard to take because I really wanted that.

“But then I got asked to come in for this one and I thought it was a really good opportunity to show what I can do and get a foot in the door with the coaching and trying to get my experience across to the younger players.

“I have ambitions, I would love to be higher up and this is a way for me to come in and show what I can do and try to work my way up.

“But it’s not like I want to go in and work my way up to be a manager right away. I can’t see myself as a manager actually for quite a while, I need to learn a lot of the game in that way, the coaching side of it, but I do think I can see myself being higher up.

“The best way is to go in and show it and work your way up.”

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As part of the changes to the youth department outlined by Head of Academy Craig Mulholland on the club’s website yesterday, fans favourite Peter will work with a team in the intermediate phase having recently completed his UEFA A License.

The great Dane, who scored 54 goals in 182 appearances for Rangers from 2000 to 2006, is delighted to be taking his first steps in coaching at a club he holds so close to his heart.

He said: “I’m very excited to be fair and looking forward to the challenge.

“I got asked to come in and do the interviews for the assistant coach job for the first team and I missed out on that, and of course that was hard to take because I really wanted that.

“But then I got asked to come in for this one and I thought it was a really good opportunity to show what I can do and get a foot in the door with the coaching and trying to get my experience across to the younger players. I have ambitions, I would love to be higher up and this is a way for me to come in and kind of show what I can do and try to work my way up.

“But it’s not like I want to go in and I want to work my way up to be a manager right away. I can’t see myself as a manager actually in quite a while, I need to learn a lot of the game in that way, the coaching side of it, but I do think I can see myself being higher up. The best way is to go in and show it and work your way up.”

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Lovenkrands believes that the changes at youth level will be positive with new coaches Andy Little, Stephen Little and Brian Gilmour being able to pass on their experiences as players at Rangers to the youngsters coming through the ranks at Auchenhowie.

With Graeme Murty also taking on an additional role of Head of Academy Coaching, Peter can’t wait to get started.

Speaking to RangersTV, he said: “I was just speaking with Craig Mulholland and the new structure he is looking at, it’s really interesting. I think it’s fantastic what he is doing.

“It’s something I’m happy to be part of and one I want to be part of. So when he asked me and we talked about it, it sounded really interesting and I wanted to come and help.

“I think for young players, and I’ve been in that situation myself when I had Ian Durrant and John Brown in the under-21s when I came here, and having players who have been there and done it at the club and know what it is about and have that experience, I think young players will enjoy it a lot, coming in and knowing they are learning from players who have been through it.

“I think it’s a big thing and a good thing bringing in former players.
I’m a little bit like I was as a player, I’m passionate, I give 110 percent with everything I do, so it will be the same on the sideline."