LEE MCCULLOCH believes Rangers have a great opportunity to round off a successful season in the cup competitions ahead of their Scottish Cup showdown tomorrow afternoon.
The Gers take on their city rivals at Hampden in the final fixture of the season as they target further silverware to add to their Viaplay Cup triumph back in December.
Speaking to the official Rangers website ahead of the Old Firm derby at the national stadium, the former midfielder commented: “It is an exciting week, the build-up to the Old Firm games is always exciting and it just makes it a little bit more special that it is going to be Scottish Cup final.
“I think that the team will be disappointed from the domestic form, but what an opportunity, what a chance to go and make it a successful season regarding lifting two cups, going into the summer, coming back fresh for a fresh challenge, the big expectation is just lift that cup.
“It doesn't matter how you play; I think we just need to go and show everybody that we have got the desire, we can work harder than the opposition, run further, win individual duels, battles and go give it everything you have got to go and lift that cup.”
The former Scotland international, who won two Scottish Cups during his eight-year spell with the Light Blues, believes the game is the chance for the team to get one up on their rivals having had several close calls in the fixtures across the campaign.
He continued: “I think it is about proving that point. Not so much to everybody out there but maybe to themselves as well.
“It is proving that point, going into the summer on a high, sending the fans away with good memories and going into the summer positive looking forward to next season.
“The manager has shown since he has come in that the turnaround and the impact he has made, the positive impact that he has had.
“He has got the fans back on board with a connection with the players. He has got players playing full of confidence.
“The players if you look back at the Old Firm game at Ibrox where Rangers went down after about 20 seconds 1-0, it showed everybody that they have got resilience and they have got mentality to come back into games.
“It is all there for me, it is just putting it together on the day.”
“I think it will be brilliant for the team, it will be brilliant for the manager and for the fans.
“I think Celtic have been dominant domestically for a few years now but the big one for me is how do you get that back? It is lifting cups; it is getting confidence and momentum back.
“It is getting everybody back on your side and being feared again.”
The ex-Wigan Athletic man has spoken of the key elements needed on an occasion like tomorrow, having tasted several cup successes during his time in Glasgow.
He added: “It is just about it connecting on the day. You need to go into the day with belief, I am sure they will do that.
“I think we have proven that we have got goals up front, we have got a tremendous goalkeeper, we have got boys in the middle of the pitch that can play and we have got a captain that can score goals from anywhere.
“There are massive positives there and it is just about going in with a belief and with a work ethic of we won't get beat here.”