Rangers assistant on scouting trip

The Rangers No 2 heads to Walsall tomorrow for the League Football Education assessment trials, open to first-year professionals who have been released from league clubs looking to find new employment.

All and sundry representing clubs from the Football League, the Blue Square Premier and the semi-professional ranks are likely to be present.

The Marston Road outfit fall into the latter category, so the full-time clubs are likely to have first pick on the cream of the crop in action, with players basically given 50 minutes to show what they can do in a series of trial games.

But not all will be snapped up, especially with summer recruitment at clubs up and down the country becoming increasingly affected by the credit crunch.

Read is hoping to come back with a clear dossier for manager Chris Brindley - away on business in the USA - of what is available in the transfer market this summer.

He will also take the opportunity to run the rule over a particular two on show, including current Rangers striker Mark Magee - eligible to play after his release from Bristol City last November.

Former Marston Road loan star Tom Thorley, who still has no idea whether he will be retained at Stoke in the summer, will also be involved.

The assistant said: "I shall be there on behalf of the club as obviously Chris is away. There is no time to waste when looking for players, for us the search started after the final ball was kicked. This gives us a good opportunity to see what is out there.

"We have identified where we need to improve, particularly in the wide areas, so now we need to find prospective signings that fit our profile. This is a good place to start looking and there will be a lot of scouts who will have the same idea.

"Hopefully it will be worth our while."