IT was a moment that Harry Forrester remembers fondly, and one which he knows will leave a lasting impression on the next men to experience it.

His Ibrox debut – a Scottish Cup win against Cowdenbeath - didn’t come on the biggest stage or against the most high-profile opponents but it was an afternoon that confirmed to Forrester that he had made the right move in making the switch north of the border.

After sticking with his tried and trusted stars from the start against Motherwell on Saturday, boss Mark Warburton will mix things up when Annan make the trip to Govan tonight.

Summer signings Matt Gilks, Clint Hill, Lee Hodson, Joey Barton, Niko Kranjcar and Josh Windass will all feature as the Gers bid for a second League Cup win in succession.

And Forrester knows the new recruits will relish having the Light Blue legions cheer them on as the Ibrox crowd get set to welcome a handful of fresh faces.

“The thing about Rangers is that you don’t have to sell the club,” he said.

“Everyone knows about the football club, like myself and all the signings that have come in. I think the project that the staff have got here and the players with the way we have equipped ourselves mean that anyone would want to come and play.

“You always have to strive for the best and that is the way Rangers work. We won’t settle for anything less and we have always got to keep progressing and the signings we have made will help that.

“Even the manager said that when he came up, he didn’t realise until he got to Scotland and walked out at Ibrox what it is like. As soon as the new boys feel that they will be hungry for more.

“They have played at some great clubs but Rangers fans are unique. They get right behind you everywhere you go. They talk to you and wish you well and they will thrive off that.”

The travelling Rangers support were sent home happy from Motherwell on Saturday as Warburton’s side got their campaign off to a winning start at Fir Park.

Goals from James Tavernier and Martyn Waghorn clinched a Betfred Cup triumph for the Gers as Forrester and his team-mates got more vital game time under their belts.

The friendly success over Charleston Battery a fortnight ago is the only other game Rangers have played since they returned to training ahead of the new campaign.

And Forrester was pleased with a useful workout and the three points as the Light Blues emerged as deserved winners in Lanarkshire.

He said: “It was good to be back. We have had a good pre-season and it was nice to get a couple of wins.

“The game the other day, I thought we did well. They had played a few games and we were just getting into it. I think it was a positive start

“It (the early start to the League Cup) is not ideal and it was a bit of a strange feeling but we have known about that since we have come back and we have planned for it. We started slowly but we got into our stride early on.

“We have to tighten up and we have talked about that already. Some of us hadn’t played a lot, I only played 30 minutes in a few months and other lads had only played an hour. “Naturally you are going to get back into it slowly. Second half we tightened it up and we were more like the Rangers of last year.”

After hosting Annan in their second Group F fixture this evening, Rangers will face East Stirlingshire and Stranraer as the countdown continues to the new Premiership campaign.

The visit of Burnley later this month will be their final warm-up fixture ahead of the top flight opener against Hamilton on Saturday, August 6.

And Forrester can sense the excitement around the club following the arrival of a host of reinforcements in preparation for a crack at the title next term.

He said: “We have got good depth now so it is about getting minutes on the pitch and getting the new boys used to the surroundings and the expectations.

“The gaffer will rotate the squad and it is about the squad getting as many minutes as we can

“There is competition and it is healthy. I think we needed that. Everyone needed someone to push them and we have got strength in depth now which we will need for the top league.

“The club has been waiting to get back to the top for a long time and this season we are back in the top flight. We needed to add quality and we have done that.

“There is a bit of a buzz because it has been a long time since we have been in the top flight and the new faces have freshened things up.

“All the lads that have come in will bring their own worth and will help us go to another level which is important.

“We need to keep progressing. Last year we did really well but this season is going to be hard.”