The Nico Raskin truth Rangers can't afford to hide from as progress ticks major box for Barry Ferguson

It was delivered with tongue planted firmly in cheek. But when Barry Ferguson joked that he told Nicolas Raskin his recent form was “the difference that I’ve made to him in two-and-a-half weeks” then it’s hard not to think there was more than a modicum of truth.

And for Rangers the good news is the duo have at least another two months working together. Ferguson might face mission impossible delivering silverware in his caretaker role over the next two months.

But the caretaker can work his magic to ensure there’s silver of another sort heading in the direction of Ibrox in the not too distant future. In short: continue to polish the gems like Raskin so the Ibrox side can cash in when the time is right. And that time might be a lot closer than some Gers fans might like to think.

Raskin’s form over the past fortnight has been as bright as anything at Ibrox in what has been a season that’s failed to illuminate. In beside Connor Barron at the base of a middle three with Mohamed Diomande just in front, Ferguson has found the balance and energy in the engine room that has been the catalyst for a week that has seen the Ibrox side go the extra mile.

Raskin has been the key with his stamina, composure, aggression at the right moments and delivering those huge moments to affect even bigger games. It sounds just like Ferguson at his pomp. And it can be no coincidence after just a few weeks of working together.

Raskin’s first call-up to the Belgium top team this week was thoroughly deserved and for those watching him closely of late should have come as no surprise.

And therein lies the rub for Rangers. This feels lies a landmark moment in the career of a player who arrived in January 2023 and has endured a rollercoaster ever since.