THE words of wisdom were passed down the generations from a Rangers legend to a current star, from the man who was known as ‘The Penalty King’ to the player who has converted seven out of seven this season and averages better than a goal a game in Light Blue.

Martyn Waghorn joined Johnny Hubbard and Harold Davis at Ibrox yesterday to promote the autobiography of the Pretoria-born midfielder who became an integral part of the legendary Rangers side of the 1950’s under Bill Struth. His reward was a quiet word in his ear from a man who knows a thing or two about scoring goals, and who netted one that Sir Alex Ferguson described as ‘easily the best I’ve ever seen’.

The meeting with two Gers heroes of yesteryear was another insight into the history of the club for Waghorn, who is determined to be an important part of future successes under manager Mark Warburton. With 14 goals from 13 appearances, including a hat-trick against Morton on Sunday, the 25-year-old has already shown his prowess in the final third. He is playing with confidence, thriving in the blue print set down by Warburton, and now he has another message to take on board.

“I’ve given the Rangers penalty taker advice,” Hubbard, now 84 but still a regular at Ibrox said of his conversation with Waghorn. “I told him if you’re good at something you don’t need any advice from anybody. I think he has started brilliantly but if you give someone advice he’s got to change certain things. I don’t think that’s a good thing.

“I never took advice from anybody. I didn’t practise penalties. If you’re good at something you don’t have to. If I’d have been bad at something I would have practised.”

The theory may have worked for Hubbard back in the day, but it is not one Waghorn looks set to try out in the here and now. He will stick to what he knows best, and what has brought him considerable rewards already this season.

His scoring record south of the border, where he played for seven clubs before he made a move to Ibrox in the summer, hardly gave a glimpse that he was capable of the kind of run he is in the middle of at present.

Waghorn has found the target with an impressive regularity, his seven spot kicks joined by a range of finishes - from poacher’s tap-ins to powerful long range efforts - as he has shot to the top of the scoring charts. He will soon have to set the bar higher than first expected.

“It’s still 20 and if I get to 20 I will move onto the next target,” Waghorn said. “I am just enjoying playing games and scoring goals is a real bonus.

“I practise penalties all the time. I do work on Thursdays and Fridays with David Weir and the keepers. I always want to improve my game as much as I can. I practise them and it’s paying off at the minute.

“I’m really enjoying myself at Rangers. It was important in the summer that I started playing games and it was great the gaffer got in touch with me and took me to Rangers.

“The way we are playing and the quality we have means it’s easy to fit into the team. It’s great getting goals and three points.”

Having turned out for the likes of Sunderland, Leicester and Hull before leaving Wigan in the summer, Waghorn is reaping the rewards of the regular run of games boss Warburton always believed would bring out the best in him.

Like all of his fellow new recruits, the striker has made an immediate impact at Ibrox. It could be seen as vindication of his decision to make across the border, but the pursuit of success, and not the desire to prove a point, is what drives the Englishman.

“I had the chance to play at Wigan but when Rangers came in for me I couldn’t say no,” Waghorn said. “I was desperate to come here. I think I could still do a job down south but that’s not the point – I just wanted to come to a football club of this size. It was a great challenge and I’m loving it. I want to be successful, improve and win trophies.

“Over the last 18 months, Wigan has had problems off the field. Managers have changed, the team has changed and the chairman has stepped down. On the other side, Rangers has turned around, it’s on the up. It’s a new chapter and I’m proud to be a part of it. I want to be successful here over the next two or three years. I want to build on the successful start I’ve had. I still feel I can improve as a player. And with the players we have here it can be a successful time here.”