In doing so, the Gers celebrated their 28th League Cup triumph in total, ending a 12-year wait for success in the competition thanks to a captain’s contribution from James Tavernier.

Indeed, the Ibrox side had to wait until 15 minutes from time to force home the breakthrough, but it was certainly worth the wait as the full-back celebrated yet another iconic individual moment in Rangers colours to bring the Mount Florida end of the national stadium to its feet.

Clement welcomed Todd Cantwell back into fold following his absence in the memorable midweek victory over Real Betis in the Europa League, while there were also starts for Leon Balogun and Dujon Sterling.

A meaty challenge in the centre of the pitch by Lundstram appeared to set the tone for the contest at a rain-soaked national stadium, although the opening blows were sporadic as both teams settled into the occasion.

Indeed, Rangers were first to set the pulses racing when Sterling let fly from 25 yards out after a free-kick was cleared only as far as the Englishman. From the resulting corner, Balogun’s dangerous flick caused havoc in the Dons penalty area before the ball was hacked to safety.

Clear-cut opportunities were few and far between in the opening half-hour, with Connor Goldson called into action when Bojan Miovski rose dangerously at the far post to nod down to Graeme Shinnie whose effort was blocked.

The Light Blues prompted Kelle Roos into his first stop of the contest moments later when Abdallah Sima spun dangerously on the edge of the penalty from a neat inside pass from Cantwell, but his resulting effort just didn’t contain enough purchase.

Ross McCausland was always reaching in an attempt to meet Borna Barisic’s delivery on 35 minutes, with the swirling wind inside Hampden taking the ball out of the vicinity of the young Northern Irishman.

The Academy graduate had clearly been instructed to attack the penalty area when the ball arrived on the opposite flank, passing up a decent opportunity for Clement’s side on the stroke of the interval when Cantwell’s clever cross met the winger at the far post but he could not direct his header on target.

The Gers picked up where they left off to open the second half, with John Lundstram briefly threatening Roos in the Aberdeen goal when he swept an effort goalbounds from 25 yards that sailed wide of the post.

Rangers were then spooked moments later as Nicky Devlin’s cross from the right-hand side evaded Miovski by only inches at the near post.

A combination of Devlin and Roos thwarted the Light Blues on the stroke of the hour-mark when McCausland played a delightful give-and-go with Dessers and poked the ball towards goal on the full stretch.

Rangers were beginning to ratchet up the pressure, and they were almost rewarded when Dessers robbed Slobodan Rubezic of possession and worked the space for a shot, but Roos stood tall to deny the Nigerian.

The Aberdeen No.1 was called into action minutes later when a dipping free-kick from the captain looked destined to be nestling into the bottom corner before it was palmed away for a corner.

Opportunity then knocked for the unlikeliest of sources on 68 minutes as Balogun swept Cantwell’s pull-back agonisingly over the top from inside the penalty area.

And if the source of the previous opportunity was unlikely, then the scorer of the decisive opening goal was anything but. Barisic did tremendously to dig out a delivery from the byline in search of Dessers, with the ball arriving at the far post for Tavernier to control on his chest and produce a terrific scissor-kick volley that whistled beyond Roos.

Clement introduced both Kemar Roofe and Sam Lammers as the Gers looked to run down the clock, with the hard-running of the Light Blues typified by Sima when the Senagelese tracked the ball all the way inside his own defensive third before drawing a grateful foul.

There were hearts in mouths among the Rangers contingent when Aberdeen’s last roll of the dice arrived via an inswinging free-kick, but Jack Butland took command of the situation to punch the ball to safety.

A melee in the Rangers goal would prove the final action of the contest, with the sound of Don Robertson’s full-time whistle ending a 12-year League Cup hoodoo for the Gers and sparking wild celebrations among players, staff and supporters.

RANGERS: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Balogun, Barisic, Lundstram, Sterling, Cantwell (Lammers, 80), McCausland (Wright, 73), Sima, Dessers (Roofe, 80)

Subs not used: McCrorie, Ridvan, Souttar, Matondo, Dowell, King

ABERDEEN: Roos, Devlin, Rubezic, Jensen (Morris, 78), Gartenmann, Shinnie, McGrath (Polvara, 69), Clarkson, Sokler (Duk, 64), Hayes (McGarry, 64), Miovski

Subs not used: Doohan, Barron, Duncan, MacDonald, Milne

REFEREE: Don Robertson