New Motherwell player Michael McGlinchey admits he could not have asked for a tougher start to life at Fir Park as he prepares to face Rangers tomorrow night.

Walter Smith’s side travel to Lanarkshire with a 10-point lead in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League and McGlinchey knows there is no bigger test in domestic football than coming face-to-face with the champions.

The New Zealand international, who was born in Wellington but grew up in Glasgow, progressed through the ranks at the Ibrox club’s rivals Celtic, but made just one appearance for the first team before being released at the end of last season.

With his former employers toiling in the title race, he could have a belated impact for the Hoops if he was to help Motherwell secure a result tomorrow night.

And the 23-year-old midfielder, who has only ever faced the Light Blues in reserve and youth football, is hoping to make his top-team bow against the Ibrox side.

He said: “If I get the nod from the manager then I will be more than ready. There is no bigger game than playing against Rangers.

“I have played against them many times. When you are playing with Celtic it is a big game. But I have never come up against them with any another team.”

The end of his Celtic career forced McGlinchey to move to the other side of the world in search of first-team football.

He signed a two-year deal with A-League side Central Coast Mariners, but with the Aussie season finished he has returned to Scotland in search of more playing time.

McGlinchey admits he couldn’t get back quickly enough when the chance to work under the new Motherwell management team arose.

“There was no doubt at all,” he said. “As soon as my agent told me about the move, I just wanted to be here under Craig Brown and Archie Knox.

“They are experienced guys and I know Archie a bit from my involvement in Scotland youth-level teams, so I just wanted to be back.”

McGlinchey, who also had a loan spell at Dunfermline, has signed on with the Steelmen until the end of the season and has an added incentive to do well.

In fact, with his country’s appearance at the World Cup in South Africa at the forefront of his mind, the player is doubly determined to make an impact during his stint back in Scotland.

He said: “I am still in the shop window I guess.

“I will be trying to do my best for the team, but obviously I am here to get as much experience and game time to go to the World Cup with the All Whites.”

He added: “If I do well then you never know where I could end up. The World Cup is massive. I didn’t want to be sitting about for three months when our season finished so I thought the best thing was to be in a football environment.”

McGlinchey, though, also hopes he can do his former club Celtic a favour if he does make his debut against their Old Firm rivals.

He said: “I have got Setanta back home so I have been watching the SPL. Obviously Rangers are a great team.

“But everyone knows I support Celtic so, if I get the chance to score, I will hopefully put it away.

“I’m glad of the time I had at Celtic, I worked under some great coaches and I’m thankful for what they did for me.

“At the time you do think you can make a name for yourself.

“You have guys like Tommy Burns and Martin O’Neill turning up at your door and making a fuss over you, then you think, ‘this might be different for me’.

“But it wasn’t to be and I had to leave to further my career and that’s what I’m doing.”