HE has walked through the wooden doors and down the tunnel on several occasions. This time it will be different for Ryan Jack.

The midfielder saw the Dons end their Ibrox hoodoo last month as Derek McInnes' side clinched a famous 2-1 win.

Just a few weeks later, he returned to Govan to put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal with Rangers and hold the red, white and blue scarf above his head.

Read more: Neil Cameron: Writing off Aberdeen after summer of transition would cost Rangers dearly

Now Jack is preparing to pull on his boots in the home dressing room and take to the field for the first time for his boyhood heroes.

The 90 minutes won’t be the most significant of the season for Rangers, and Progres Niederkorn won’t be the toughest opponents that Jack will go head-to-head against.

But it is a significant occasion for the 25-year-old and his team-mates as the Gers look to mark their return to the Europa League with victory in front of a sell-out home crowd.

It is a moment that Jack will have been counting down to for some time, and one that former Pittodrie boss Jimmy Calderwood is confident he will make the most of.

“I think he will love it and I’m sure he can’t wait to get out there on Thursday night,” Calderwood told HeraldSport.

Read more: Neil Cameron: Writing off Aberdeen after summer of transition would cost Rangers dearly

“He is a winner and he will relish it. He is a leader, a really good lad and good fun as well so he will be good in the dressing room.

“I am sure he will love it. No disrespect to Aberdeen, but nights like that is probably one of the reasons why he went down the road.

“He is a very good player, hard as nails, a good passer of the ball and he loves playing football. I think he will do really well for Rangers.”

The sights and sounds of Ibrox will be familiar to Jack but the pressure will be quite different as he looks to ensure his dream debut doesn’t become a European nightmare.

The midfielder came under fire from Dons fans as he quit the club to commit his future to the Light Blues and become the second signing of the summer for boss Caixinha.

But Calderwood reckons the lure of Rangers was always going to be too strong for Jack to reject as he considered the next move of his career.

“It is a fantastic stadium and there will be a great atmosphere,” he said.

“He has been there a few times with Aberdeen but this will be a dream for him. I had him at Aberdeen and got to know him well and this is a wonderful move for him.

“It is sad for Aberdeen, but that is the way it goes. Although Rangers have gone back a lot from where they used to be, it is still a club that a lot of players will want to go to.

“Now they will hope things will get better and better for them over the next couple of years and Ryan will want to play his part in that.”

Read more: Neil Cameron: Writing off Aberdeen after summer of transition would cost Rangers dearly

The capture of Jack came hot on the heels of Bruno Alves’ arrival at Ibrox earlier this summer and he has been followed into Ibrox by a host of new recruits.

He could be joined in the starting line-up by fellow debutants Fabio Cardoso, Carlos Pena, Dalcio, Alfredo Morelos and Eduardo Herrera against Progres.

The Gers crowd already know what to expect from the midfielder but Calderwood knows Jack will be determined to make a positive first impression.

Calderwood said: “He will want to show the Rangers fans what he is all about but I don’t think he has a point to prove or anything to fear. He is a confident lad and he will just go out there and play his game.

“Everything I have read about him since he made the move has been positive so he will be really looking forward to it.

“It doesn’t matter who you are up against. His focus will be on the game and he will take it all in his stride, I really do.

“I can’t speak highly enough of him. He is a great lad, he is a winner and you can’t have enough of them in your team and in your squad.”

It was against Rangers that Jack took his first strides in the game as he was handed his debut by Mark McGhee at Pittodrie seven years ago.

The Aberdeen native had already earned himself a reputation as one of the brightest young talents in our game by that stage.

Read more: Neil Cameron: Writing off Aberdeen after summer of transition would cost Rangers dearly

And Calderwood is pleased that Jack has made the most of his talents as he looks to hold down a regular berth under Caixinha’s guidance next term.

He said: “I took him into the first team when he was a teenager. He had been doing that well with the youths and I said ‘let’s take him in and see how he does’.

“He was brilliant with us and it was good to bring him through and he has made the most of his chances.

“He progressed through and became captain and did really well for the club.

“He has had a few injuries but he has overcome that and he is a really good player. I think he will do really well for Rangers.”