Nicolas Raskin highlights the major Rangers difference from last Celtic meeting as he has Belgium call-up in his sights

The batteries weren’t the only thing left feeling drained as Michael Beale’s power Rangers ran flat at Hampden.

Last month’s Scottish Cup semi-final was supposed to offer the Ibrox outfit a fresh zap and set them up for a surge into next season. Instead, they saw the lights go out on their last flickering hopes of avoiding a barren campaign as Ange Postecoglou’s electrifying Celtic side pulled the plug on their trophy hopes.

Nico Raskin admits the pain and frustration of that dispiriting defeat has been rattling around his head ever since the final whistle blew at the national stadium. But Gers’ little bundle of energy reckons his side are recharged and ready to go again next year after finally sparking out their bitter rivals at the seventh attempt. Saturday’s 3-0 win - the Light Blues’ first against their bitter rivals since April last year - showed Beale’s men at their high-voltage best and gave a glimpse of what can happen when Rangers find a little staying power.

There’s no doubt Celtic dropped their own levels at Ibrox too but it’s a performance that has convinced Raskin that his team will be getting wired in about the silverware next year. "The performance is something we can build on for next season,” insisted the Belgian midfield ace. “It's been a long time since we gave the fans a performance like that.

“The atmosphere was crazy. It gave us so much energy. We need them a lot and when we get this energy you can see a big difference for the team and the way we play. In the semi-final, especially in the second half, we were better than them - we just couldn't score goals.

“So now we score goals, it makes a big difference to the team. And when you score one goal, two goals, it gives you trust, more power and more