It can’t be too often that a club who has just been promoted to the top division go into a match against a side that finished last season as the fifth best in the country as the bookies’ favourites.

That’s just the scenario though at Fir Park this afternoon as Motherwell welcome newly-promoted Rangers in the League Cup.

Not that his side’s underdog status is fazing Motherwell new-boy Carl McHugh. The former Plymouth midfielder is positively relishing the challenge that lies ahead of him and his new teammates.

He says that it was challenges such as going up against the likes of Rangers that attracted him to Scottish football, and he is sure that the Steelmen are ready to meet that challenge head on.

“I’m really looking forward to my competitive debut,” McHugh said.

“We’ve had a really good week training and although the game is coming early it’s one we’re looking forward to.

“I know we’ll be the underdogs but you have to take confidence from the likes of Leicester, Iceland and even Wales and Northern Ireland.

“It will be a really tough game, they are a really good side and although we’re at home we know Rangers will be favourites.

“It’s a great game to start with, Rangers are looking really strong and they’ll be coming here to make a point.

“They’ve made a real statement of intent with some of the signings they’ve made but we’re well prepared.

“We’ll see who is playing, they’ve made some great signings with [Joey] Barton and [Niko] Kranjcar and both these guys have played at a really high level.

“It shows you what Rangers want to do this season, but we’ll just focus on ourselves. We’ll have a plan and hopefully we’ll do well.

“It was a big thing for me coming up here but you want to play against big teams and big players like that and that was a factor in my decision.

“For a lot of the lads it will be our first game in Scottish football, the same can be said of the Rangers players, and I know we’re all looking forward to it.

“Scottish football has been on the up these past few years and it will be a lot stronger for having Rangers back involved.

“You want to test yourself against these players and it was big draw for me to come up here and compete against Aberdeen, Hearts and Celtic too.

“Motherwell finished the season really well last year and I see this as a chance to develop my career.”

If Motherwell are to pull off a win in their first competitive game of the season, then they will have to perform to a much higher level than they did in their final friendly of pre-season.

McHugh insists though that the squad have drawn on the lessons of the humbling at the hands of Hibs on Sunday, and he has vowed there will be no repeat today.

“We watched videos of the Hibs game and what went wrong there,” he said. “We need to improve from that game but we know that.

“It’s a competitive game, pre-season friendlies often lack that bite and, of course, we are all working towards the start of the league season.

“It will be a blood and thunder game and I’m looking forward to it.

“It’s a great squad and a really good core. The young lads have really impressed me too and I expect them to be pushing through.”