Queen's Park appoint AZ Alkmaar's Marijn Beuker as director of football
They want to become Scotland's "leading club for player development"
Queen's Park have underlined their ambition by recruiting Marijn Beuker from AZ Alkmaar as their director of football.
AZ finished level on points with Dutch giants Ajax at the top of the Eredivisie in the curtailed 2019-20 season after utilising youth players more than the champions.
Beuker, 37, was attracted by the sales pitch of Queen's Park backer Willie Haughey and chief executive Leeann Dempster as Scotland's oldest football club embraces their new-found professional status.
The Glasgow club are aiming to become Scotland's "leading club for player development".
A statement from the cinch League One club read: "Renowned as a long-term, innovative thinker and disrupter, Marijn Beuker has led the extraordinary player development work at top Dutch side AZ Alkmaar for the past 15 years.
"During this period, AZ has grown into a leading development institute in Europe.
"In the last six years, the first team consisted for an average of 47.8 per cent of all official minutes from home-grown players and the club grew into one of the most attractive young teams in the Dutch Eredivisie and UEFA competitions."
Beuker said: "I am very proud to be able to take this new step in my career at one of the oldest clubs in the world.
"The ambition of the club to create sustainable success and the well-thought-out plan to make an impact in modern football in the coming years appeals to me enormously.
"I see a lot of opportunities to help Queen's Park reach these goals and can't wait to start a new future for the development programs and recruitment process of the club, together with all the staff.
"In the meetings I had with Leeann Dempster and Lord Willie Haughey, I quickly learned the important role Queen's Park played in pioneering in the early stages of club football.
"It's very impressive to understand the impact the club made and I am very grateful I can be a part of this new era for us all.
"I will respect the legacy of the club, but I am also ready to put a new dent in the universe."