Jack Simpson is grateful Rangers pushed the boat out to sign him in January rather than this summer, and not just because he got a to sample a historic title win.
The centre back had already agreed a pre-contract to head to Ibrox but Steven Gerrard was determined to bring him north much sooner, and a deal was agreed on transfer deadline day that saw Simpson and Scott Wright become Gers.
And the former Bournemouth man got a front row seat as he initially watched then played his part as the Light Blues stopped the ten and claimed a first Scottish Premiership crown in a decade.
Had everyone stuck to the initial plan, then he would have obviously missed on the scenes of celebration.
But more importantly, Simpson now kicks off his first full campaign at the Govan club already well accustomed to the demands that come with being a Rangers player.
“It was huge to get a feel for everything around here and help me hit the ground running,” he told Rangers TV. “I’m now used to training, used to the environment, most of the lads and what’s expected.
“So I feel it was really important that it got done [in January] and I’m really pleased it did.
“I don’t think it could have gone any better to be honest. Getting to experience all of that and seeing how hard the players and the staff worked last season to get there, I was lucky enough to experience that at the end.
“It was a great experience and one I won’t ever forget.”
Simpson will need to at least put it out of his mind for now though. They say the hardest part about winning a title is defending it and with Celtic under Ange Postecoglou still something of an unknown, Rangers can’t afford to be any less relentless this time around.
He added: “Last season was great but it doesn’t mean anything now in terms of the impact of this season. We have to go out there, improve every day and be ready to go, because we have our goals that we want to hit. That’s important for this season.”
Continuous improvement is something the current Rangers coaching staff pride themselves on and Simpson raved about how much he’s developed since joining the club.
He explained: “The coaching here is very, very good. You can just feel yourself getting better as a player. There’s a real understanding of the game.
“The way they develop you and help you is massive here. It’s not just about winning, even though that is the main thing. It’s also about developing as a player so we all get better as a team.”
