Mark Warburton: Lee Wallace's leadership earned him new Rangers deal

The Scotland international penned a new deal yesterday that will keep him at Ibrox until 2019, after helping the Gers to the Championship title last season.

Wallace became captain last summer and was an ever-present in Rangers' promotion campaign, making 50 appearances in all competitions.

Read more: Lee Wallace confident Rangers will be ready to fire for Premiership assault

Warburton is now tasked with forming a Premiership title challenge in 2016/17 and thinks the 28-year-old will play a big part in the club's future.

“I’m delighted for Lee," the manager said to Rangers' official website.

“He was challenged last year in terms of taking over the captaincy, which is a huge responsibility at a club like Rangers.

“The way in which he responded and led by example both on and off the pitch was first class. He’s earned that contract.

Read more: Dave King: The days of Rangers recruiting top talents from England are long gone

“He’s a very high calibre and in my mind, a top quality international player. He’s been outstanding at domestic level and I’ve no doubt that he’ll rise again to the challenge of next season.

“He’s been first class with the squad. If you recall, we didn’t make the decision about the captaincy lightly. We looked at the options and we spoke about it and we felt he was the right person for the job.

“The manner in which he responded was first class, because there is a lot to it. There’s a lot of responsibility that perhaps the supporters wouldn’t realise – in terms of what he has to do and what the duties are.

“He’s important in terms of the environment at Auchenhowie and what he has to do to set that environment.

“He has an important part in allowing us to set levels of respect that we demand from a Rangers player and staff member.

“He has a huge role to play in it and he’s embraced that and has added so much quality to it. It was was a big responsibility and I can’t talk highly enough about Lee Wallace.”