STUART Dallas reckons his old Brentford team mate Jota can supply the goals which get Rangers back "where they belong" - dominating Scottish football.

Northern Ireland internationalist Dallas played alongside the midfielder during his time at Brentford and is not at all surprised his former manager Mark Warburton is interested in him.

The 25-year-old is currently on loan at Eibar in his native Spain - but he has only played six times in the 2016/17 campaign for a club which is currently sitting in eighth place in La Liga.

Warburton is hopeful that he will be able to persuade the versatile player to join him in Scotland next month on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

Read more: Former Ger Ian Murray agrees to become number two at Norway's Asker FC

The Ladbrokes Championship winners have found goals difficult to come by in the Premiership this term and Kenny Miller is their leading scorer in the league with just four strikes to his name.

However, Dallas believes that Jota, who netted 11 times as Brentford reached the Championship play-offs two seasons ago, can make a huge difference for his boyhood heroes Rangers up front.

"Jota is a cracking player,” he said. “He is definitely an exciting player who can get fans on the edge of their seats. He can score goals. That’s a big part of his game.

"He is an attacking midfielder. He can play just off a striker, but we played him on the right a great deal even though he is predominantly left footed. He spent a lot of the time on the right for Brentford.

"We did really well that year getting to the play-offs the season after we had won promotion to the Championship.

Jota was a definitely a big part of that successful season. He played in the vast majority of the games and scored some vital goals for us.

"He is also a good guy who will have no problems fitting in to the Rangers squad if he goes there. He was just learning English when he joined Brentford. I don’t know if he has continued to do that since going back to Spain. But he was a really good lad as well who fitted in with the squad."

Dallas continued: "We had a few players at Brentford, myself, Jota, Alex Pritchard and Alan Judge as well, who could play in a number of positions in midfield.

"It’s not down to me to say where Jota could play. Mark is the man who is the judge of that. I am sure that Mark knows exactly where he could fit into his side. But all the players he has signed for Rangers have done well and I have no doubt Jota would do well as well.

Read more: Former Ger Ian Murray agrees to become number two at Norway's Asker FC

"I have seen the type of game that Rangers play. They play a possession game and that is system that I think Jota could fit into. He has got real quality and the ability to break defences down."

Dallas, who moved from Brentford to Leeds United in a £1.3 million transfer in the summer, originally hails from Cookstown in Northern Ireland and has followed Rangers since he was a young boy.

He admitted he had been delighted to see Warburton and his assistant Davie Weir, his former mentors at Griffin Park, move on to Rangers last year and is not surprised at how well they have done.

The Englishman and the Scotsman have, despite recruiting extensively during the close season, found the Premiership difficult at times, but consecutive victories against Aberdeen, Hearts and Hamilton have helped them move seven points clear in second spot.

The 25-year-old, who played for Northern Ireland in their games against Ukraine, Germany and Wales at the Euro 2016 finals in France in the summer, is hopeful they can help his childhood heroes reclaim their former glories.

"I have kept in touch with a few of my ex-team mates," said Dallas. "It is always good to hear from them again and keep tabs on how they are doing. I have always followed Rangers, even before Mark and Davie went there. I grew up supporting them.

"Mark and Davie were a massive influence on me and my career as well as Uwe Rosler before them. I have a lot of respect for them.

"Davie is someone I have always thought a lot of and looked up to because of the man he is and the Rangers legend he is. He is somebody I really enjoyed working with.

"I wish them well. Hopefully they can help Rangers get back to where they belong – dominating Scottish football."

Lee Hodson, who played in the same Northern Ireland side as Dallas in a World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic in September, has made a huge difference to the Rangers team since taking over from James Tavernier at right back.

Dallas has been pleased to see the defender, who joined from MK Dons on a free transfer in the summer, break into the first team at Ibrox and is confident he can continue to feature regularly in the second half of the season.

"I know Harry Forrester and Rob Kiernan from my time at Brentford and also Lee Hodson from the Northern Ireland set-up," he said.

"I know all about how good a player Lee is, but he has shown that at Rangers in the last few weeks. He’s done really well since he got the chance and I'm sure he'll keep doing that now that he is playing on a regular basis."