IT would have been entirely understandable if Wes Foderingham had been tempted to seriously consider one of the offers he received from down south during the summer due to his painful experiences in the five Old Firm games he was personally involved in last season.

Foderingham let in no fewer than 15 goals in those Glasgow derby matches and was involved in both of the 5-1 defeats, at Parkhead in September and Ibrox in April, which his side was on the receiving end of.

Yet, the Englishman, who signed a one year contract extension which ties him to Rangers until 2019 this week, was undeterred by the losses and remains determined for both his side and himself personally to do better in them.

He is well aware that Andy Goram, one of his illustrious predecessors, is still revered by supporters for the saves which he pulled off in the meetings with Celtic over the years and emulating him in future is an ambition.

“I had a very brief conversation with Andy on Twitter when I first joined,” he said. “He welcomed me to the club and wished me all the best. He had some nice words to say.

“He has also had some nice words to say about me this season in the programme which was good to hear from a Rangers legend. The fans here love him. There is no doubt he was a fantastic player for the football club. It was nice to hear good words from him.

“I am aware that he always did well in the Old Firm games. I have seen some of the saves on You Tube and fans have made me aware of the performances he has put in against Celtic. If I can do half as well as him in these games I will be doing alright.

“Having said that, you need to be consistent across the board. There is no point playing well in these games if you are going to play poorly in other games. I try and focus on being the best goalkeeper I can be throughout the whole season.”

It will be interesting seeing how Pedro Caixinha’s new signings, Daniel Candeias, Graham Dorrans, Eduardo Herrera, Ryan Jack, Alfredo Morelos and Carlos Pena, fare in this outing.

There was much excitement down Govan way last season when Joey Barton, Niko Kranjcar, Jordan Rossiter and Philippe Senderos arrived and Mark Warburton’s side failed to meet their expectations.

Will the latest batch of recruits perform any better? Foderingham is confident Rangers are better placed to challenge both for silverware in all three domestic competitions and for bragging rights in the Old Firm game.

“Listen, they’re a top team,” he said. “They’ve been unbeaten for a while now and you can’t do that if you’re a bad side. But we strengthened during the summer and we’re better-placed now to challenge than we did last year and that’s what we’ll be looking to do.”

Senderos being ordered off for a second bookable offence in the first Old Firm game of last season helped Celtic to romp to a resounding win and Foderingham knows it is vital that Rangers keep all 11 of their players on the park if they are to prevail.

Morelos, the Columbian striker, has been perhaps the best of the new arrivals having scored eight goals in 10 games. But the 21-year-old has a fiery temperament and his manager has admitted he will have to remain calm in the hostile atmosphere he will be performing in. His team mate agrees but is confident he will do so.

“The boys are really up for these type of games,” he said. “It is not just the new guys who have to keep their cool it is the 11 men on the pitch. There is no doubt that going down to 10 men puts you on the back foot. We will be looking to make sure that we have 11 men on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.

“The boys who have come in are experienced. They have played in big fixtures, whether that is in Mexico, Portugal or where they have played. The Old Firm is a massive game, but they will know that. They are professionals so I don’t think they will have any problems.

Bruno Alves, the first choice Rangers centre back, and Declan John, the back-up left back, are both doubts for the game while Lee Wallace, the captain and first choice left back, will definitely be ab-sent due to injury.

Foderingham could, then, be playing behind a defence which comprises James Tavernier, Fabio Cardoso, teenage centre back Ross McCrorie and Lee Hodson. He has, though, faith in every member of the Rangers squad and is confident whoever comes in will perform well.

“I train with them every day so it is not that unfamiliar,” he said. “Whatever side we put out, we are confident. The gaffer has brought in the type of players that can come in and play when needed, so there are no worries there. The thing is to play your normal game and keep your cool.”