DEREK McInnes wants his Rangers side to grab the opportunity to get their Scottish Premiership season off to the perfect start on Friday evening at Tannadice.
The Gers will raise the curtain on a fresh campaign as they look to record an opening-day victory for the first time in four years.
Jim Goodwin's Dundee United are the opposition on Tayside, and McInnes believes it's long overdue that a Rangers side begins a new campaign on a strong footing.
Speaking to the media ahead of his side's opening fixture, he commented: "We need to feel excited about a new season starting. This is a real opportunity for us to start as we mean to go on.
"It's been well-documented that Rangers haven't started the first game of the season well for a number of years and the cards have dealt us a tough fixture, but it's very rarely you get an easy fixture away from home.
"Pre-season friendlies serve their purpose, but I'm glad it's over with, and we can get down to the real stuff.
"While we've still got work to do, I'm delighted with some of the work we have managed to do both in signing players and the effort they've put in since we came in."
McInnes represents a new face in the managerial position heading into the campaign, and he isn't the only change from last season.
It was announced this afternoon that Lawrence Shankland will captain the side after leading Hearts with distinction over the last few seasons.
The manager says the Scotland international ticks a lot of boxes and was the outstanding candidate to succeed the departed James Tavernier.
He continued: "James Tavernier had served the club for a long period and served it well.
"It's been something I've been asked about quite a lot since I've been in the job, and I just really wanted to look throughout the squad and how everyone was.
"The advantage Lawrence had was the fact I have evidence of how well he runs a dressing room with his experience of being a captain at Hearts for a few years.
"There was a lot to consider, but I think a lot of things went in his favour. He has the experience, and I still think we're quite a young dressing room, while he knows the club in terms of being a Glasgow boy and supporting the club.
"There are similarities in the sense that I felt Lawrence took a lot on his shoulders at Hearts when things weren't going so well this time last season.
"He was the existing captain, and I saw no reason to change it after seeing him around the team.
"The role has changed now in the sense that I think we need as many captains underneath him. You've seen a lot of managers speak about that recently, and I think it's about someone to help share the burden.
"I used to see it with James Tavernier at Rangers where he would get rolled out after every sore defeat, and I thought it was a bit unfair the same guy getting rolled out every time.
"I do think that we have to share that load and share the responsibility, both when things are going well and not so well, so I'm leaning on a lot of his teammates and key players within that."
McInnes also provided a squad update ahead of the trip to Dundee, with midfielder Vanja Dragojevic, who trained with the squad for the first time on Monday at Ibrox, available for selection.
On the fitness of certain players, he added: "Thelo Aasgaard trained this morning. He came off against West Ham, but the shoulder isn't causing any discomfort, and he'll train fully again tomorrow.
"Cammy [Devlin] has had a little calf knock, but he'll train fully tomorrow. We've resisted him making contact - which is quite hard for him! - but he's been doing some work with a physio on his own.
"He's had a little knee niggle which didn't allow him to do pre-season before we went to Spain or in Spain, but he's picked up his work this week."
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