NOT that anyone has ever doubted the importance of Stefan Klos to Rangers, but some recent examples of his expertise have reaffirmed his reputation as arguably one of the club's greatest ever exponents in the art of goalkeeping.

The unease with which the supporters bid farewell to the Flying Pig, Andy Goram, need not have been so, it has transpired. While they briefly had to endure the heart-stopping eccentricity of Lionel Charbonnier, the flamboyant Frenchman who never did recover from cruciate damage early in his Ibrox career, the arrival of the European Cup-winning Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper four years almost to the day was met with a fair degree of relief.

Comparisons have been drawn with Goram to the extent that the club publications now refer to him as Der Goalie, but Klos, in keeping with his quiet nature, is not for entertaining such trivia. More important to him is earning his crust with a clear conscience by protecting his goal like a lion does its cub.

The 3-2 Old Firm victory which turned the Premierleague table in Rangers' favour might well have ended in stalemate had it not been for Klos' crucial stop from Alan Thompson late on. Similarly, having watched his team overcome early adversity against a plucky Partick Thistle on Sunday, their efforts may have been in vain had instinct not told Klos to stick out his palm to Martin Hardie's seemingly net-bound shot at the game's end.

All in a day's work for the unflappable goalie, but that has not prevented his team-mates from showering him with justifiable praise. Craig Moore offered a glowing appraisal of the team's last line of defence when he suggested ''having him behind us makes us feel more secure''.

Pointing to the aforementioned examples of his exceptional ability, Moore speculated that Klos is probably worth a 10-point start every season. It is a variation on a familiar theme during Rangers' nine-in-a-row era, when Walter Smith opined similarly of Goram's exploits.

''He is very much in the same type of goalkeeper as Andy Goram,'' suggested Moore of the two polar opposites in terms of personality. ''They are both absolutely brilliant shot-stoppers and I have spoken to Andy about him before on a number of occasions and I know how highly he rates him.''

Only last month, Alex McLeish singled Klos out for special praise after acknowledging that ''sometimes we take him for granted''. Moore does not subscribe to that theory but does believe that he is approaching the peak of his capabilities.

''I don't think the defenders have taken him for granted but I know what the manager means. Stefan has been great since he signed for us but this season, in particular, he has pulled off important saves at crucial times for us. In fact, you feel at times you cannot lose a goal because he is in such good form.''

Though he was happy to extol the virtues of the goalkeeper, the Australian also took the opportunity to explode the myth of Klos' quietness. ''If you get on the wrong side of him, you know all about it. I have done that a few times and it has not been pretty, so don't let him kid you on that he's so quiet.''

Shyness has never been an obstacle for Moore to overcome, so he dealt with the unusual occurrence of him being fit over the festive period in typically self-deprecating humour. He is approaching his best form again and so far has enjoyed a season uninterrupted by injury - ''touch wood''.

It is no coincidence that his return to fitness and form alongside his recognised defensive partner, Lorenzo Amoruso, has resulted in Rangers' restoration to the top of the Premierleague pile and Moore's combative displays thus far have been the embodiment of McLeish's managerial ethos.

''It makes a change talking to you guys at this time of year and not saying 'I hope to be back for the new Year','' he said, having spent previous festive periods frustrated by injuries of varying degrees of seriousness.

''We were very disorganised against Partick Thistle last weekend but we managed to keep going and got the win. To be honest, we would probably have lost that game a year ago,'' he said, with the inference that the lack of togetherness under Dick Advocaat may have been the biggest factor in his decision to leave.

''We expect much the same against Motherwell. People keep talking about Rangers and Celtic being too strong for everyone else but if we get caught on a bad day, we can lose quite easily.''

Klos may have something to say about that.