ROB KIERNAN is confident Rangers will remain focused on the Championship job in hand and not allow their attentions to drift to the looming Old Firm Scottish Cup clash.

Mark Warburton’s side are on the brink of clinching the Championship title and have the Petrofac Training Cup final against Peterhead to look forward to a week on Sunday.

A significant and potentially hugely successful run of fixtures ends with the last four meeting with Celtic at the National Stadium next month.

Boss Warburton is determined his players won’t allow their minds to wander ahead to derby day as they look for a flying finish to his first campaign at Ibrox.

And defender Kiernan is confident the chance to emerge as an Old Firm hero won’t mean the Light Blues take their eye off the ball in the coming weeks.

He said: “Yeah I think we can actually look forward to these games coming up, they are a credit to what we’ve been doing.

“We’re looking forward to our final in a few weeks, it will be great and I’ve got been to Hampden before so that will be nice.

“I know the lads from down south are looking forward to that, being able to bring our families up and enjoy the day.

“So that will be nice and then obviously we’ve got the game against Celtic the following week before we go into our last couple of games of the season. Hopefully we can get promoted sooner rather than later.

“It is not difficult [not to look ahead]. As soon as the last whistle goes in a game, it is about recovery, it is about training, what we are going to do, what is different, what is going to happen.

“It is a cycle to be honest and it is routine. We don’t get too excited and overwhelmed about what is going to happen

“Of course we are looking forward to it and it is in the back of our minds but I wouldn’t say we are distracted.

“My friends from down south and family have heard a lot about it and I am looking forward to it myself. It is going to be great.”

If Rangers could clinch back-to-back wins at the National Stadium next month, it would put them on the brink of a unique Treble this term as they bid to add cup medals to the Championship crown.

Forward duo Kenny Miller and Barrie McKay have been integral to Warburton’s plans as Rangers have turned in a series of impressive showings this term.

And Kiernan has been impressed with how the up-and-coming Ibrox star and elder statesman of the Gers squad have performed in Light Blue.

He said: “They’ve been fantastic. I walked in for the first day of training and I saw Kenny Miller’s appetite for the game, it’s crazy for his age and for what he’s done.

“He’s a credit to all of us and he’s someone we greatly respect in our dressing room, and the same with Baz.

“He’s been brilliant and I think he’s got better and better as the season has gone on. He’s so sharp and he’s such a threat going forward, I wouldn’t like to be defending against him!

“So he’s been brilliant and I think he’ll only get stronger.

“Definitely, you have to learn from people like Kenny. He’s played at the highest level and I always try and learn bits and bobs from everyone.

“Everyone has come from different backgrounds, players from different clubs, but Kenny’s played at the highest level so you have to learn from him.”