MARK WARBURTON hopes the return of blockbuster games to the Premiership will help Scottish football sell itself once again this season.

Rangers played their first top flight fixture in four years at the weekend as their title bid got off to a frustrating start against Hamilton Accies.

Warburton has added nine players to his squad in a bid to ensure they are in a position to mount a challenge to stop Celtic clinching a sixth successive league flag.

The likes of Joe Dodoo and Jordan Rossiter have made the move to Ibrox from Leicester and Liverpool respectively as they turned down deals in the Premier League.

It is becoming harder for Scottish clubs to do business with their English counterparts due to the financial disparity between the leagues and the money on offer south of the border.

And Warburton knows our game must change for the better if the product on the park and the quality of player on these shores is to increase in the future.

He said: “You have to show him here and sell the club. You hope the agent sees it, the family see it and that Joe understands the opportunity he has here. That he knows he offers us something we haven’t got.

“He’s a young talented player who see think we can help bring his career forward.

“It can be done. There is money available but it’s not easy.

“Everyone just thinks go and get this player – a six foot four centre half, who can play out from the back and can read the game really well.

“That’s great but they’re on £150,000 a week. That’s the fact of it.

“They are on so much money. We have to be aware of that.

“I just get frustrated that we don’t look at it that way.

“We’ve got to get more money in by TV, sponsorship, by improving the quality of product.

“We need packed stadiums – games like Hearts v Celtic, Rangers v Aberdeen, Rangers v Celtic. We need these to show the game in a good light.

“We need to raise investment or else in two years’ time we will still be sitting here moaning about the state of the game.

“I’m not going to talk about other clubs up here but when you turn on the English Championship highlights you see a packed Ipro Stadium, Carrow Road or City Ground.

“You look at the crowds – 25, 28, 32,000. And that’s just the Championship. That’s not the Premier League.

“Everyone says ‘well that’s just because of the money’ and then ignores it. We’ve got to find a way of making the quality of product better.”