FOR Stephen Wright and those under his guidance, it is the chance of a lifetime. He will make the most of his, and now his Rangers kids must do the same.

The defender realised his own boyhood dream when he signed for Walter Smith’s side from Aberdeen but the reality never lived up to the expectations as injury wrecked his Light Blues career.

Now he has returned to the Gers fold and has an opportunity to shape the futures of the next generation of Ibrox hopefuls.

Wright took his first steps in coaching working alongside Craig Mulholland in the Community Department after he hung up his boots following spells at Bradford, Dundee United and Scunthorpe.

His appointment as Head of the Intermediate Academy and School Coach is part of a staffing revamp that Auchenhowie chief Mulholland has put in place ahead of the new campaign.

And the 45-year-old is delighted to be back in blue as he looks to play his part in producing Rangers’ own stars of the future.

“This is my third time at Rangers and it is great to be here again,” Wright told SportTimes. “I am working with the Intermediate Academy, which is the 13s, 14s, 15s.

“I know how big a club it is and how good the Academy is from being here before and playing against Rangers youth teams.

“They always have good players, they are good sides and they have excellent staff here. I was delighted to be asked to come back and I am looking forward to working with good players.

“I will be working with the coaches for the age groups. It does take all sorts to make it here.

“It is not just how they do on the field, it is how they look after themselves, their education, their diet, there are a lot of different things.

“I will be heavily involved in the school programme we have got and making sure they stick in when it comes to their studies. But they have got every opportunity here to make it.”

The chance to return to Rangers proved too good to turn down for Wright as he joined the Light Blues for the third time in his career earlier this summer.

After a stint on Jim McIntyre’s backroom staff at Dunfermline, the former Gers defender became Head of Youth at East End Park and led the Pars to the Youth Cup final in 2013.

He has left his position overseeing the Fife Elite Football Academy to make the move to Auchenhowie and is relishing his new role on familiar territory.

“It is probably more challenging for me,” Wright said.

“I was Head of Youth for the Fife regional Academy, which was overseeing all the coaches and all the players.

“What I am doing here is micro-managing a certain department within the Academy and Craig will oversee the whole system. I will be looking after the younger ones alongside Peter Lovenkrands.

“It is probably more coaching than I have been doing recently. I did a bit of coaching when I was here previously. Some aspects I am used to and others I will pick up but it is an opportunity I couldn’t turn down and one I am excited by.”

The formation of the FEFA three years ago saw Dunfermline, Raith Rovers, East Fife and Cowdenbeath pool their resources at youth level in an attempt to enhance the progression of kids across the area.

It is Performance Director Malky Mackay who is now leading the way at Hampden as the Scottish FA put their faith in the ‘Project Brave’ blueprint.

Gers Head of Academy Mulholland was involved in the working party process and Wright believes the structures already in place at Auchenhowie will stand the Light Blue hopefuls in good stead.

He said: “Time will tell really. The SFA have changed the goalposts a number of times over the last few years.

“Who knows? Hopefully with Malky coming in and picking up things that have been done previously and changing things it will help produce better players for the Scottish national team. That is the whole purpose.

“At Rangers, we are established with good people and programmes in place and hopefully I can add to that.

“We are following a plan here and all we can do is try and get players up through the levels.

“Then hopefully you get to the stage where some of the players can play first team football.

“There are many different variables in that. You have got to be good enough, obviously, but you need a bit of luck, you need to get the opportunity and the circumstances have got to be right.

“Rangers have produced lots of good players in the past and I am sure they will in the future as well. That is why we are here at the Academy.”

The focus will always be on first team success at Rangers but the Ibrox board continue to invest time and money in players and personnel at youth level.

For every kid that lives the dream, many more will fall just short. The task is a tough one but those that want it will be given every chance to succeed.

Wright said: “They can’t think too far ahead at the younger age levels. They have got to have a dream and have a goal but they have got to take it stage by stage.

“If you are at 13s you want to get to the 14s, if you are 14 you want to get to the 15s. You have got to be patient.

“You have to do the best you can in every session, in every game and be better than the guy who is in front of you. That is the challenge that the young players face.

“We have got good players here at Rangers, but to be a top player you need lots of things.

“You can’t just be a good footballer, you need the disciplines that come along with that as well. It takes quite a bit and it is a big journey to get to the top.

“Hopefully myself and Peter can pass on one or two things along the way. There are good staff here that have done it all before so it is a case of learning for myself as well.”