FRASER AIRD is confident Lewis Macleod can handle the hype and pressure on his young shoulders to shine for Rangers.

The midfielder has been the Light Blues' top performer this term and already has six goals to his credit. Macleod is the brightest young talent on the books at Ibrox and Aird is delighted to see the 20-year-old turning in a series of superb showings for Ally McCoist's side.

He said: "That is what Lewis is all about. He is my best friend on and off the pitch. He is flying just now and hopefully that continues because, right now, he is probably our best player.

"He has been doing brilliantly, so hopefully he can stay fit and have an amazing season. He has always been the same, I don't think he will ever change. He is level-headed and brilliant on and off the park. I don't think anyone has a bad word to say about him. He just lets his football do the talking for him."

Macleod is not the only Ibrox starlet to play a key part for McCoist's side this term, with Aird himself featuring regularly for Rangers. And the Canadian kid is determined to step up to the plate in the coming months as the Gers bid for title glory.

He said: "I had two bad games and I was dropped, but I am back in the team now and hopefully I can keep my place.

"As a young boy, it is hard to keep the consistency up, but hopefully the gaffer keeps giving me the nod and I can give 100% for the team and put on a good performance for myself, too.

"I came back out and had a good game. I wouldn't say I was delighted [not to play], but, at the end of the day, it was the gaffer's decision and I will stick by it. Hopefully I can put a good run of games together like I did last season and have another good campaign."

Rangers head into their Petrofac Training Cup clash with East Fife tomorrow on the back of a 6-1 Championship win over Raith.

And Aird knows there can be no let-up from McCoist's side as they bid for multiple successes this season. He said: "There is massive pressure on us to go and win every single game; there was for the last two years, too.

"This year, there are other teams going to battle with us and fight it out until the end of the title race.

"That is what it is like at a club like that, there is going to be competition. We have to take that. Every game we play, we want to go and win. That is the mentality of a club like this."