RONALD DE BOER is 'hurt' by Rangers' plight as his former club continue to struggle on and off the park.

The current state of affairs at Ibrox is a long way from the halcyon days when De Boer was strutting his stuff in Scotland.

But the Dutchman insists the Light Blues can return to their former glory.

He said: "I had such a great time at Rangers and it does hurt to see the club like this. I got so much respect from the supporters.

"To see a club like that go down so badly hurts and it is very sad.

"You never expect a club like Rangers with such magnitude to fall down like that. Rangers are a football giant waiting to burst out.

"I have always said that if Rangers and Celtic were in the English Premier League they would be as big as Manchester United because they have the fanbase.

"If Rangers and Celtic were in England and built 80,000-seater stadia then they would fill both grounds with 80,000 supporters.

"Rangers has the potential, but you have to be realistic and look to the future and you have to work hard to come back."

Kenny McDowall's side head into the Hampden showdown without players of the class of De Boer or former team-mates like Stefan Klos or Jorg Albertz.

Celtic don't have the same big hitters of yesteryear, either, but do have potential stars of the future.

Virgil van Dijk has been linked with a series of multi-million pound moves, but De Boer admits his countryman still has some way to go to convince those back home he is the real deal.

He said: "We have some doubts about Virgil in Holland. Some people think he should get his chance in the national team. People say whether Ajax or PSV should buy Virgil.

"There are doubters out there and I think Van Dijk has potential to go to the next level and play for a good European club."