REMIE STREETE has pleaded with Rangers supporters to give him and the other four players signed on loan from Newcastle United on transfer deadline day an opportunity to prove themselves.

There is widespread concern within the Ibrox fanbase over the exact motives behind bringing in so many individuals from the reserves at the Barclays Premier League club, just a week on from accepting a fresh £10m loan from its owner, Mike Ashley.

Streete, Gael Bigirimana and Haris Vuckic were paraded at Murray Park yesterday afternoon with Shane Ferguson and Kevin Mbabu nowhere to be seen.

Ferguson, who has 18 caps for Northern Ireland, has only just returned to running within the last fortnight after spending months out of action with a knee problem while Mbabu, a 19-year-old Swiss defender, has suffered from a succession of injuries during the course of his time at St James' Park.

Streete, however, has asked everyone associated with his new club to give all of them time to settle and judge them purely on their performances on the pitch as they attempt to help Rangers close the 16-point gap that has developed between them and Hearts in the SPFL Championship.

"I think it's going to be the same anywhere you go," said the 20-year-old central defender. "There will be people doubting you and the fans sometimes like other players.

"The fans don't see what's going on on the training pitch, so the only way we can be judged is in games.

"Some players might need a little bit of time to settle in, but we've come from a good level of training at Newcastle and we've been playing games. I think we're ready to hit the ground running.

"From what I've heard in the press and on Twitter, the team needs some more fresh legs and we are here to give the players already here a boost.

"It might bring out the best in the players to have to fight for their positions and it might bring out the best in us to try to take a position off someone else.

"That's what football is about."

Streete played down suggestions that his switch to Ibrox could be scuppered by FIFA regulations which state that a player cannot play for three clubs in the space of a single season. Streete has played in Under-21 matches for Newcastle and had a loan spell at Port Vale in October. It is thought the appearances for his parent club could infringe FIFA regulations in the manner that blocked Hatem Ben Arfa's move from St James' Park to Nice. Streete is confident he is in the clear.

"It's all signed from my end," he said. "Different federations in different countries have different rules. I know France stopped Ben Arfa but from what I've read on the internet and been told from my agent the Scottish FA have allowed me to make the transfer. So, hopefully, it should be fine."

Bigirimana has denied the players were effectively ordered to join Rangers on loan, claiming they had the opportunity to decline.

"No, it wasn't like we didn't have a choice," insisted the Burundi-born central midfielder, who has represented England at Under-20 level. "It was up to us. We saw the history of the club and how passionate the fans are.

"It's similar to Newcastle and we thought this is the right step for our careers, individually and for the future. If the manager can find room to fit us in, we will give 100% to the club. We are just like young lions who want to go and explore.

"There were other teams there and there were other options, but we just felt this doesn't happen often with five players going to on loan to the same club."

Vuckic, a Slovenian internationalist, insists they will all show their qualities in time.

"We've known each other for four or five years and we have experienced the Premier League," said the 22-year-old midfielder. "We are a good group.

"There is a big gap between first and second in the league, but I think it's realistic that we can catch Hearts."

Chris Graham, spokesman for the Rangers Supporters' Trust, raised concerns over the transfers last night and expressed his surprise that the players were not introduced to the squad ahead of the 2-0 League Cup semi-final loss to Celtic.

"It does seem a bit odd that these guys were not signed in time for the Old Firm match," he said. "It's pretty obvious these players have been lined up for loan moves for quite a while.

"The other issue is whether these guys are actually any better than the youngsters we already have, because, effectively, we are now developing another club's players.

"I don't think we are at the stage where we should be thinking that, just because Mike Ashley has sent some players up, everything is now rosy. Mike Ashley simply does not give a toss about this club.

"It will be interesting to see if we are paying for these guys. If we are, we are just taking money from Ashley and giving him it straight back."

Streete, who confirmed that the new players have met with the Rangers caretaker manager Kenny McDowall, believes it would have been unwise to throw him and his colleagues straight into the maelstrom of a Glasgow derby.

"There was talk about it a couple of weeks ago, but just briefly," he said. "I wasn't so sure we could come up here and be thrown straight into the derby.

"The manager will have wanted to play his trusted players, the local lads and things like that. I understand coming from Newcastle as that's what we'd do if we were playing Sunderland."

Streete, who was out on loan at Port Vale earlier this term, has admitted he would like to face Celtic in future, though, and has hinted he would like to use his loan spell as a springboard to a more permanent arrangement.

"I have seen the derbies in the past and they are pretty fierce," he said. "That is something I would love to play in.

"I won't get the chance this season, but who knows for the seasons after? My contract is up at the end of the season. I hope things go well at Rangers and I fall in love with the club."