TOMMY WILSON may not be a household name among the red, white and blue legions of the Rangers support.

But his role as reserve team manager at Murray Park may never have been so important.

With the current Ibrox cash crisis well documented, the pressure on Rangers to start producing a regular supply of home-grown first-team talent and saleable assets has never been greater.

Alan Hutton's £9million move to Tottenham Hotspur last January remains the one lucrative deal brokered on the back of Murray Park's extensive investment in youth.

A fortnight ago Chris Burke was allowed to go to Cardiff for free in a bid to trim the wage bill, while young John Fleck - who played in last season's Scottish Cup Final aged 16 -resurfaced in Walter Smith's plans with an impressive home starting debut against Falkirk at Ibrox last Saturday.

And, with Wilson also filling a key post as Youth Academy technical director and bridging the gap between youth supremo Jimmy Sinclair and Smith, his role is becoming increasingly pivotal in helping Gers plug their financial black hole with a new generation of Murray Park starlets who can eventually impact on the first team picture.

The second-string boss said: "I took over the reserves at the start of the season.

"I had been working with Ian Durrant for most of last season, but then towards the end of it he moved across to the first team and I was probably unofficially taking the reserves for the last 10 games of last season.

"The main problem for a reserve team manager at a club of Rangers' size is the marrying together of the first team players involved with you and the youth players who have made the step up and producing a cohesive side from that.

"So, with the sheer volume of players that come into the equation it can be difficult.

"But you must view the reserve side as a vehicle for the first team.

"So it is not about the reserve team performing well and winning - it is about facilitating what the first team require by providing a platform for players coming back from injury, keeping players match sharp or whatever.

"Then, on top of that, it is about giving our young under-19 players and reserve players an opportunity at an appropriate level to create an impression on the first team coaching staff and manager.

"Obviously I work very closely with the first team management and every day we liaise to decide which players they require or who they are sending to train with us due to the level of their fitness.

"On top of that I report back to the first team management in terms of how players are performing with us, so there is a close relationship."

With Rangers having loaned 10 of their kids out in a bid to gain them vital competitive game time, Wilson has no doubt about the ability of one youngster to make a name for himself in the first team spotlight next season from within the confines of Ibrox.

Aaron was brought to Gers on a two-year loan deal from Valencia in the summer but, apart from one first-team run-out against Hamilton, has been carefully nurtured by Wilson in the Ibrox second string.

The Light Blues coach said: "Aaron is a player I have worked with closely in the reserves.

"My understanding is that the Spanish Under-21 coaches are most impressed with the progress he has made since he has been at Rangers in terms of his physical development.

"When he initially came here I think there was a bit of a culture shock in terms of the physicality of the Scottish game.

"Physically, he had to be improved and physically he has been improved. He has a lot of talent and ability, but he is another 19-year-old who is competing with full inter-nationalists to get in the team.

"He plays on the left but he is right-footed and likes to cut in on his right foot, but Aaron can also play wide right or just behind a striker and he did that at Valencia.

"But he is competing with DaMarcus Beasley, an American international, Lee McCulloch, a Scotland cap, Nacho Novo and Northern Ireland's Kyle Lafferty for a place on the left-hand side in the midfield.

"I can see Aaron improving almost with every game. His body shape is changing as his physique and strength develop and he is getting fitter and quicker. Allying that to the talent he has it is exciting, but I would anticipate Aaron making an impact next season without doubt at first team level."

Turning his attention to the under-threat future of the SPL reserve league, Wilson admitted he has similar concerns to the SPL think tank that recently subjected its role and value to negative scrutiny.

The second string competition is currently in a two-month shutdown and forcing Rangers to secure game time for fringe players and those recovering from injury on an ad hoc informal basis.

With only a 22-game fixture list, the SPL Reserve League is completed by April and so once again out of commission and of little use to Smith and his managerial counterparts when the SPL season arrives at its business end.

And the Rangers reserve manager said: "Rangers have supported the reserve league through the years.

"But the first team might only use 12,13 or 14 players on any given weekend and there is another squad of that size who need games.

"So the argument is can that be facilitated best through a reserve league or by an informal arrangement or league between the clubs?

"We are in the middle of a two-month shutdown right now in terms of the reserve league and having to organise our own games.

"On top of that with only 22 games in the reserve league it will finish at the start of April.

"So we will be faced with the same problem we are experiencing right now at the business end of the first team season. That is not helpful."