Rangers 5-0 Heart of Midlothian: Aaron Ramsey makes debut in thumping win

Aaron Ramsey made his much-anticipated Rangers debut as they thumped Hearts to prevent Celtic extending their one-point Scottish Premiership lead.

The hosts, chastened by a midweek Old Firm derby defeat, responded to Celtic's 4-0 beating of Motherwell with a rousing Ibrox victory of their own.

The influential Alfredo Morelos netted in each half and teed up Glen Kamara to score after Hearts spurned big chances, before Scott Arfield added a well-taken fourth and Fashion Sakala rounded off the rout.

Ramsey, the Juventus loanee and marquee January addition, was given the final 14 minutes by Giovanni van Bronckhorst, and with his side 4-0 up, could scarcely have dreamed of an easier debut against the side now 16 points back in third spot.

This was a game in which Morelos underlined his importance, a day when the striker's influence, dynamism and class told again and again.

In the three matches they played while he was an unused member of the Colombia squad, Rangers have laboured. They have missed their attacking fulcrum dearly.

Many of the 50,000 inside Ibrox on Sunday will have wondered why his country took him halfway across the world not only to leave him out of their line-ups, but out of the match-day squads altogether.

In any case, Van Bronckhorst will rejoice at his return — not least after the meek and wounding nature of the defeat at Celtic Park on Wednesday.

Morelos laced a bustling performance with bright flashes of subtlety. His goals were ruthlessly dispatched, the first stemming from a sumptuous Calvin Bassey pass and Ryan Kent delivery; the second an emphatic left-foot curler from the edge of the box.

If it was fortuitous that Morelos' attempted through-ball ricocheted straight back to his feet, then the striker did