STRIKER Zoe Ness believes she wouldn’t be where she is now without the support of Rangers backroom staff through her injury rehab.
The 24-year-old joined the Gers as she was recovering from a knee injury which kept her out for over a year.
The experienced and dedicated backroom team for the women’s programme were on hand to support the Scotland international - getting her back on the pitch for the first game of the season.
Speaking to RangersTV this week she said: “The staff helped me a lot, probably more than I realised at the time.
“Looking back if I didn't have that I don't know where I would've been so I am really grateful for everything that Rangers have done for me.
“Obviously going into lockdown wasn't ideal and being by myself a lot of the time in lockdown but it was all worth it now that I look back and now that I see this year over and done with hopefully I can push on and get a lot more performances under my belt.
“I’m still not as sharp as I would like to be but that only comes with getting more games under my belt, so hopefully after Christmas I'll start to feel the change but slowly getting there.”
Having played in the FA Women’s Championship with Lewes and Durham, as well as a spell in Switzerland, this season is Zoe’s first experience of the SWPL.
With five games played, she admits she has been surprised by the standard of the league.
She explained: “It has been interesting, It has been a right mix of games. I think a few teams are stronger than I first thought but that is with women’s football developing.
“It is getting a lot more technical with a lot more physicality.
“It is hard obviously coming into a brand new team and for myself coming back from injury and trying to get back to where I was before I got injured has been quite difficult.
“I knew quite a lot of the players anyway but the new girls that I've played with or players that I've known of in the past it is nice to play with them.”
The Gers head north to play Forfar on Sunday, and Ness expects Rangers to have to show patience to break down their opponents.
She continued: “I think they'll sit in and make it quite difficult for us but I think it is about recognising that and knowing how to break them down and be patient.
“It'll be a good test and hopefully we'll come away with three points and plenty of goals.”