Michael Stewart sets out Rangers priorities as Aaron Ramsey debut is secondary to derby reaction

Pundit Michael Stewart was as impressed as anyone when he learned Aaron Ramsey was joining Rangers.

But after the Ibrox side hammered Hearts to banish their derby demons he insists the team's overall reaction after losing to Celtic in midweek was far more important.

The Welshman was a second half substitute against Robbie Neilson's Jambos, coming on at 4-0 for goalscorer Scott Arfield with the damage largely done.

It wouldn't have been lost on Stewart that two midfielders - the other being Glen Kamara - were on the scoresheet for Gio van Bronckhorst as he insisted the Juventus loanee joins an Ibrox engine room already stacked with quality, even if that wasn't evident on Wednesday night.

And on Sportscene he said the debut was merely the cherry on top while the overall performance was the main event at Ibrox.

When asked about the signing of Ramsey, Stewart said: “There is no doubt he is a player of the highest quality, but he is in an area of the park where Rangers have a lot of strength already.

“It’s a marquee signing, but to be perfectly honest, it’s more important that the collective unit is strong.

“Aaron Ramsey on top of that is great, but the reaction there today is the big one.

“To be beaten in the derby so convincingly, to come back with a performance and result like that; Aaron Ramsey coming on is great, but the performance of the collective unit is far more important."