Mark Warburton confident Rangers can rise to the Premiership challenge

The Light Blues will stride out on Saturday to face Hamilton on home soil and the first kick of the ball will mark the club’s return to Scotland’s top flight.

It will also be the start of what Warburton and his players will hope could turn out to be a remarkable campaign as Rangers set their sights on the Premiership title.

READ MORE: Rangers 'surprised and disappointed' at merchandise development ahead of new kit launch​

A cruise to the Championship crown and the arrival of nine players over the summer have raised expectation levels amongst supporters as the countdown continues to the big kick-off.

It is that demand for success that Warburton’s side will have to satisfy over the next 38 league outings as they prepare to go head-to-head with Celtic for the silverware once again.

READ MORE: Josh Windass determined to play his part in the final third for Rangers this season

Some - like the 53-year-old Londoner - have had time to get accustomed to life in Glasgow, but many will experience a packed Ibrox for the first time when Accies come calling this weekend.

Warburton has no fears, however, over how his players will react with the burden on their shoulders as they look to send the Light Blue legions home happy for the first time this term.

“It’s pleasing to start at home after what has happened and the club’s return to the top flight,” he said.

“It will be a packed Ibrox and a big occasion and I’m very much looking forward to it.

“It will be a new experience for some of the boys but I’m sure the likes of Joey, Niko, Clint Hill and Matt Gilks are used to playing on the big occasions.

“It is a magnificent football arena so you have to enjoy it, you have to recognise responsibility and our job is to go and deliver a performance.

“The Saturday performance is a consequence of the work we do day in day out on the training ground, it should make Saturday easier for us.

READ MORE: Club 1872 urge Rangers fans to continue merchandise boycott after latest Ibrox retail drama

“This is the next level, the next level of player, the next level of demand and it’s a different challenge.”

Rangers may have suffered their first defeat of the new campaign at the weekend as Burnley inflicted a 3-1 defeat at Ibrox, but it has been an encouraging few weeks overall for boss Warburton.

He was able to complete the majority of his transfer dealings before a competitive ball was kicked and the four Betfred Cup outings against Motherwell, Annan, East Stirlingshire and Stranraer were negotiated with ease.

Only time will tell if Warburton’s side are capable of making the step up into the Premiership and competing at the first attempt.

But the Englishman is confident the Light Blues are prepared for the challenge as sights are set on the summit of Scottish football.

Warburton said: “We know our opponents and there are some who will thrive on coming to Ibrox, which is just an iconic football stadium; the quality of the pitch and the packed crowd.

“Good players will thrive off those things and we recognise the positive impact that could have on our opposition so we have to respond to it, train hard, demand high standards, produce high standards and hopefully the results will follow.

“I think some teams will open up, some teams will look to sit back and counter but that is irrelevant, not in a bad way and we will recognise it and do our analysis, as we always do but we must focus on what we do well, That is very important to us.

“We must concentrate on moving it very well, not taking an unnecessary touch, good rotations and high on the movement – if we can all of that right and more then we will be a match for anyone.”

After four straightforward and comfortable wins in Group F, Rangers failed to pass their biggest test of the summer as they suffered a friendly defeat on Saturday.

Burnley highlighted the weaknesses in the Warburton blueprint and Andre Gray did the damage with a clinical hat-trick for the Clarets.

The Gers boss kept his side locked in the home dressing room for some time on Saturday evening and the days since have been spent analysing what went wrong in the constant search for improvement.

“They had top quality Premier League players and we have to learn from that and as a team they pressed high and their intensity was evident throughout,” Warburton told rangers.co.uk.

“We had good spells of play and we look at the game and the penalty is not one in my mind but it changes the game after three minutes and the second goal is offside.

“This is not in the way of making excuse but these are fine margins that exist at this level of play.

“I went in at half-time thinking we were the worst side and Burnley were far stronger but then you watch the game three times, without the crowd sound and you realise they have had two chances.

“Vokes has hit the post and Jutkiewicz has had a cross, I can’t think of any other saves Wes and Gilksy have had to make.

“There are lots of positives out of the game but we have to recognise that we conceded two sloppy goals and I don’t want to see that.”