THE numbers – of goals, of assists and of years – tell their own story for Josh Windass.

They are a measure of how far he has come, and give an insight into how far he could go at Ibrox or beyond.

This time last season, the midfielder had scored just once in 18 appearances for Rangers in what was a mixed debut campaign following his move from Accrington Stanley.

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Now, he averages almost a goal every other game, while he has also provided eight assists from his 31 outings, the majority of which have come under Graeme Murty’s guidance.

His reward was a new three-and-a-half year deal. His wages have increased, but so has his importance to Rangers.

Windass has often shown flashes of brilliance at Ibrox but a lack of consistency left many wondering whether he had a long-term future in Light Blue.

Murty has never doubted his ability or his potential, though, and he has got the best out of the playmaker since he replaced Pedro Caixinha in the dugout.

After netting his first hat-trick for the Gers in the Scottish Cup win over Fraserburgh, Windass hit another treble against Hamilton on Sunday as Murty’s side moved up to second spot in the Premiership.

And former Ibrox midfielder Alex Rae reckons there is plenty more to come from Windass as he looks to maintain his fine form in the coming weeks.

“The goals are something that he has added to his game in particular,” he said.

“If you look back at last season, the return in terms of goals wasn’t one to be proud of.

“But you look now and see what he is capable of and what he can deliver.

“He has been rewarded with the new contract and he has that stability and confidence now to push on.

“He knows that the people behind the scenes are happy to continue working with him for a period of time. All the signs are pointing in the right direction for him.

“He is still young and he still has plenty of development to do. You are always learning in football.

“He has new team-mates now and once you start better understanding their runs and movements and building that understanding with him, that will benefit Windass individually and Rangers as a team.”

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Windass was far from the most expensive or highest profile signing of Mark Warburton’s second summer at Ibrox but he has contributed significantly more than many of those that joined him in Light Blue as Rangers returned to the top flight.

Neither Warburton nor Caixinha were able to utilise his talents in the right way but Murty has found a place for him at the heart of his Gers blueprint.

At one stage, few supporters would have been miffed if the former Huddersfield Town kid had been swept away in a widespread clear-out.

His controversial celebration against Partick Thistle didn’t go down well with the fans, but Rae believes he can continue to earn the affections of the Ibrox crowd going forward.

He said: “I think he has started to settle down at Rangers and when you look at his return this season compared to last season, it is a remarkable turnaround in terms of goals. It is nine in five now.

“The club have recognised there is a bit of value from a playing point of view in giving him a new deal.

“If he continues to perform like that, over a sustained period of time, money wise it could prove to be a good piece of business for them somewhere down the line if they decide to sell him.

“It is a win-win for both parties. He had a bit of an altercation the other week with the supporters but the only way he is going to silence the doubters is by scoring goals and performing.

“There is a big following at Rangers so you are never going to impress everyone. But you need to play well and score goals and he is doing that now.

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“Some of the goals have come against lesser opposition, but you can only score against who is in front of you.”

Having played himself into the finest form of his Ibrox career, Windass must now continue to catch the eye in the closing weeks of the campaign.

He has a chance to finish top of both the goals and assists charts this term, as well as earning himself some silverware as Murty’s side bid for Scottish Cup glory.

The 24-year-old could have found his place under threat as Murty bolstered his ranks during the January transfer window but he has risen to challenge in style.

Rae said: “He has also got competition for places now, which is always healthy.

“Before the transfer window, Rangers were very light in the forward areas and you knew who was going to be playing.

“Now Jamie Murphy has come in and looked really positive, Jason Cummings is champing at the bit and young Docherty as well. Then you add Dorrans and Jack to come back.

“There are decent players all looking to cement a position in the team and Windass has a hit a purple patch at the right time for him coming back after the winter break.”