Rangers Under-19s head coach Stevie Smith admitted it was a special occasion to go head-to-head with a familiar face in Kilmarnock dugout on Friday night with the former Gers left back coming out on top in a 4-1 victory.
Smith and Chris Burke, former Rangers teammates, who came through the academy together, were reunited at the Rangers Training Centre - but this time as opposing coaches as Smith’s U19s met Burke’s young Kilmarnock side in the CAS Elite League.
For Smith, the clash was about more than just three points or development minutes. It was a meeting of two men who know each other well, with their friendship stretching back to their playing days at Ibrox.
Speaking after the match, Smith was full of admiration for what Burke has brought to his new role since taking charge of the Ayrshire club’s youth side:
“He’s one of my good mates so I'm going to be really biased here but since he's took the job at Kilmarnock, I think they're a really well coached team.
“They're difficult to play against, they're aggressive, they run, they work but they're also more than that. They've got good technical quality, but their rotations are good in terms of where they go and receive the ball.”
It was clear that Burke’s fingerprints were all over the way Killie approached the contest. They pressed Rangers high, showed energy in transition and caused Smith’s side plenty of early problems.
Indeed, Kilmarnock struck first, pressing high as Rangers attempted to play out from the back, hungrily winning the ball back to go ahead inside the opening five minutes.
For Smith, though, what stood out was not just the performance on the night, but the consistency Burke has managed to instil since taking on the role.
“It's interesting coming up against him because first and foremost, he's one of my mates but also you know you're going up against a well-coached team.
“I thought Kilmarnock, especially in the first half, were really good tonight. In the second half, I think the third goal probably kills the game but again, every time you play against him, since he's been in charge of that age group, it's been a difficult test for us.”
The respect was obvious in Smith’s words. He praised the way Burke has blended Kilmarnock’s trademark competitiveness with a technical edge, making them one of the toughest sides Rangers’ youngsters face in their league calendar.
The final scoreline may suggest a comfortable evening for the young Gers, but Smith’s acknowledgement of Burke’s influence told the fuller story.
For large spells of the first half, Kilmarnock more than matched the Swifts, before Rangers’ quality showed in the second.
For two former teammates, the night was a reminder of how football careers can take parallel paths. Smith, guiding the next generation at Auchenhowie, and Burke, passing on his experience at Rugby Park, where he also spent a large part of his later playing career, are both shaping Scottish football’s next generation.
And while friendship will always remain off the pitch, on it both are fiercely committed to preparing their young sides for the demands of the professional game.