DEAN Shiels is hoping Stuart McCall can lead Rangers into the SPFL Premiership - and land the Ibrox manager's job on a full-time basis.

Shiels has flourished since McCall took over as interim Gers gaffer from Kenny McDowall back in March.

He has established himself in a central midfield berth and has helped the Light Blues reach the play-off final against Motherwell.

The 30-year-old hardly featured under former bosses McDowall and Ally McCoist and is hoping McCall does enough to be kept on.

He said: "I don't think there are many managers who could have lifted us from where we were, how low we were, in the style we've done it.

"You could physically see how bad things were at one stage. You could rhyme off a few games that really should have happened, like losing 4-0 to Hibs.

"We did need picked up at that stage and I think a lot of credit has to go to the manager and the staff for doing that."

"We've done it playing good football. Especially at home, we've been really good to watch and have scored lots of goals. The manager has to take a lot of credit for that.

"Obviously there were dark times during the season when the team was really struggling, maybe some people wrote us off and thought we might not get to the play-off final.

"But I think since the new managers came in our whole focus has been on getting to this stage and we've managed to do that"

Shiels came off his sick bed to play in the first leg of the play-off semi-final last week and helped Rangers record a 2-0 victory over Hibs at Ibrox.

The Northern Ireland internationalist revealed the huge crowd at the Govan ground had helped the weary Gers stars and predicted the home supporters would be crucial tonight.

He said: "I had a headache, a fever, I was hot and cold, my head felt like it had went twelve rounds with Mike Tyson. But I didn't want to miss out.

"The fans have been massive in these play-off games. They've really got behind us and it makes you want to drive on and well for them."