GRAEME MURTY reckons an Ibrox chat with Liam Burt has helped bring out the best in the Light Blues midfielder.

Burt was handed his debut for Mark Warburton’s side against Raith Rovers last term and also made an appearance in the Championship clash with Alloa.

He has yet to force his way into the first team reckoning this season, however, as he has turned out for the Gers’ Development Squad.

Boss Murty said: “I don’t like to label people’s prospects but we had a sit down with Liam a month and a half ago, me, Craig Mulholland and Liam’s parents at Ibrox to talk through Liam and his future.

“What we talked about will remain private but since then we have seen a marked upturn in Liam’s output, in his training, in his games, in his mentality and he appears much more focussed.

“We talked about his ability to go past people and he is utilising that in a much more positive way and he is using that to be disruptive and get into real good goal scoring and creative opportunities.

“He has now realised the opportunity which is in front of him to go on and impress not only myself and Craig and the 20s staff but also the first-team staff who come to our games and give us good feedback.”

Burt is not the only highly-rated kid on the Auchenhowie books at present as 20s chief Murty looks to produce the next generation of Gers stars.

Midfielder Billy Gilmour made his first start for the second string against Dundee in midweek and Murty is pleased with the progress of the 15-year-old.

He told rangers.co.uk: “Billy is incredibly diligent and focussed but despite him being small you very seldom see him getting caught in possession because his awareness is good and he plays the game at a really good tempo.

“The tempo of his play and his release are far better than his physicality at the moment so when he matures and he becomes physically adept athlete and you manage all those attributes together he has a hell of an opportunity to progress through to the first-team.”