Four years enjoying the warmth of the sunshine in Qatar have not softened Ronald de Boer. It is in his nature.

A Dutchman without an opinion, after all, is like a town crier without a voicebox or a Fir Park groundsman without a big sponge.

De Boer, like many of his countrymen, has a beguiling habit of speaking his mind, regardless of the subject matter. This candour can often be misinterpreted by the uninitiated as over-confidence bordering on arrogance. Only through regular immersion can the once dumbstruck interviewer appreciate the frankness with which the Dutch tackle even the most controversial of questions.

When you have been brought up in a culture where prostitution and soft drugs are legal - subjects that traditionally make us Brits squirm in polite company - it is hardly surprising that discussing football rarely leaves the Dutch feeling flushed or flummoxed.

When you combine that genetically inherited sense of open-mindedness with the confidence gained from a glittering football career at stations including Ajax, Barcelona and Rangers, it is little wonder that De Boer is not shy about voicing his opinions on various matters, whether asked about them or not.

The Dutchman, who earlier this week announced his decision to retire from playing at the age of 37, was perhaps the last genuine world-class player to move to these shores when he left Barcelona for Rangers for £6m in September 2000, during an era when money was no object at Ibrox and the fledgling Scottish Premier League was still well-respected and attractive to outsiders.

How times have changed. De Boer was 30 when he turned his back on the glamour of the Camp Nou for the grit of Govan and was probably past his peak as an international forward of some repute and yet, when fit, there was no questioning his was a special talent.

His four seasons at Rangers coincided with the opening of the club's Murray Park training ground and it was there that De Boer first considered the idea of moving into youth coaching once he finally hung up his well-travelled boots.

That time has come. He will shortly commence his coaching career in the heat of Qatar and has his own ideas about how to best nurture young talent. Lessons have been learned from those four years spent in Scottish football and not all of them were positive.

De Boer laments the competitive nature of youth football in this country and believes that, at a young age, we should focus more on brain rather than simply brawn.

"The Scottish system and mentality in the way that they raise talent is still not the way I would do it," he offers, apropos of nothing. "At the beginning, when they are 12 or 13, they still see winning titles and cups as something that is important. At that age that shouldn't be the case.

"You have to educate and see the end result further down the line. When you're 12 you shouldn't want to become the champion of Scotland, that shouldn't matter. It's more important that young boys are allowed to develop their technique and talent and in the end you will get better players coming through.

"In Scotland they focus too much on the physical aspects when a player is young. So a strong boy at 12 will be looked upon more favourably than a little, fragile boy. The small boy may have more ability but because he is tiny he cannot cope with the physical pressure at that moment in time. But when he gets older the physical side will come.

"I get the feeling that in Scotland they will always go with the stronger boy and then when he is 18 they realise he doesn't have the quality to reach the top. They don't give a chance to the real talent and guide them for four or five years. That's what is wrong with the Scottish system."

Rather, it is towards his twin brother Frank that De Boer will look to for guidance at the start of his coaching career.

Frank is currently in charge of developing the under-13 team at Ajax and next season will combine a role working with new national coach, Bert van Marwijk, with the responsibility of looking after Ajax's under-18s.

The Amsterdam club boast a proud success rate from their fabled youth programme and can list the two De Boers, Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert among impressive alumni. De Boer hopes to use those experiences to help his young charges in Qatar.

"In Holland we don't look at the physical aspects, we look to football. At the end, the player who is good at football will always win over the strong boy. A 12-year-old boy still has to grow. Of course the boy who is stronger and quicker at that age will stand out but in the long run he will lose as he doesn't have the quality.

"He only uses his strength and not his brain. That's maybe why we don't see as many quality young players coming through in Scotland.

"It's easy to change. Just tell the young talent to play football and not worry about being champions. Of course you try to win - that's normal - but it's not the biggest thing. It's to educate them so they have a chance to become a professional footballer. It's not about being strong or physical. The small boys will often be the ones with the most skill."

De Boer was a pivotal part of the last Scottish team to win a domestic treble, scoring 20 goals as Rangers swept the board in 2002/03. With Walter Smith's side in hot pursuit of a similar achievement, De Boer gives some advice on how to last the pace.

"You want to stay as long as possible to achieve that of course. It's difficult but you would rather have it like this than the other way around. They just have to enjoy the situation they are in and keep a positive attitude.

"Hopefully they will come with good results and win some more prizes. When you're winning, nothing is tiring. Winning is not tiring. If you win you don't feel anything. If they keep on winning, you forget everything else."

Despite a lack of appreciation for the finer aspects of Scottish coaching, De Boer retains fond memories of his time with Rangers and admitted a return could be possible further down the line.

"I had a great time there," he says. "I always say I have three doors I can come in: Amsterdam, Barcelona or Glasgow. But if I have to go to one then I will choose Glasgow for the respect you get there. You always get a warm welcome when you come home to Glasgow.

"I still always check out how Rangers are doing on the website and I have some friends in Scotland who are crazy Rangers mad. Will I come back to Scotland to manage one day? Well, you never know.

I had a great time in Scotland so never say never."

Journalists, as much as football fans, would surely welcome his return.