GREG DOCHERTY feels as though he has signed for Rangers all over again, but he believes he is ready to finally make his mark at his boyhood club.
A loan move to Shrewsbury Town last season proved hugely beneficial to the former Hamilton midfielder, who far from being forgotten about, has managed to push himself to the forefront of Steven Gerrard’s thoughts going into the new season.
He is hoping that the continuation of the hard yards he put in down south that he has maintained throughout pre-season can stand him in good stead to become a regular in the Rangers midfield.
“When I went away this time last year this was always on my mind, to come back this summer and really make a push for it and I think I have been doing that,” Docherty said.
“The manager is happy with me, the club are happy with me, so I just have to keep working hard.
“It’s great to be back in the dressing room and to properly feel a part of it again. I almost felt like I was signing again. I did pre-season last year with this regime but wasn’t really a part of it because I was only here 5-6 weeks before I left. And I knew if I wanted to be part of it I would have to go and get game time and more experience and improve my ability a bit more.
“The loan went really well for me and I am thankful for that, and coming back here, I feel like I have proved myself and am a proper part of the squad.
“I don’t think I was overawed [last summer], I think I had a strong pre-season, I just knew they would bring in their own players and a few of them were loan players and the nature of football meant my opportunities would be limited.
“So, I put the question forward to them, would it be beneficial for me to go out on loan and I felt that it was, and I feel in a much stronger position now moving forward.
“Hopefully I can get more game time this year and really just plugging away and learning off some good players and great coaching staff.
“I came back at the tail end of last season and played in a bounce game against Chelsea and felt I did well.
“Afterwards they put it straight down, they told me there were boys in my way but to come and force my way in.
“And I feel like over this pre-season I have done that. The season starts today, and I am still here, and that’s a big bonus.”
Docherty says that there is a determination within the Rangers dressing room to settle some old scores against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park this afternoon, after the Ibrox men only beat Steve Clarke’s side once in their four meetings last season.
The final day defeat in Ayrshire is a particular sore-point, and Docherty says he and his teammates are ready to take out their frustrations on Angelo Alessio’s men.
“All pre-season has been gearing up towards this game,” he said. “Ever since it was announced, as players we were looking at it as a chance to rectify things.
“The fact that it has come quite early on means we can go out and really lay down a marker.
“The staff have touched upon that. Us, as players, know we didn’t beat Kilmarnock in three games last season, so it’s one that the players we want to win.
“You want to start the season strongly no matter who you are playing against, but it’s one as players after losing there on the last game of last season, we have the chance to go there on the first game of this season and start on a real positive.”
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