ALLY DAWSON reckons Danny Wilson is the ‘ideal captain’ to lead Rangers under new boss Mark Warburton next season.

The defender became the first signing of the summer when he completed a deal at Ibrox last week and will be expected to play a key part for the Light Blues in their bid for the Championship title.

Boss Warburton will have to pick a new star to skipper the side following the departure of Lee McCulloch following the play-off defeat to Motherwell.

And former Ibrox captain Dawson is confident Wilson is the right man for the job after he quit Hearts at the end of the season to sign a three-year deal with the Gers.

He said: “I know Danny and worked with him for a number of years with the youths.

“I watched him develop. You watch the players that you have been in contact with.

“He has developed into a very good defender, and I am sure he could play one or two other positions if he was asked.

“I think he would be an ideal captain.

“He was maybe forced into going down to Liverpool, but he went, he did it and he speaks very well about the reasons why he did things.

“They are his reasons, he doesn’t need to explain himself but he has got a confidence to go and do that off the park and he has got a confidence on the park. He has always had that.

“I am delighted to see him back and I hope he takes the club forward.

“He had an opportunity to go into the Premiership but, at this moment in time, he feels this is the best choice for him and he stands by that.

“It is not a year or two years, I think he will be there for four, five, six years and hopefully longer. I hope he is the catalyst to take the club forward.”

Boss Warburton began putting his squad through their paces at Murray Park on Saturday and has now discovered who his first opponents of the season will be next month.

Rangers will make the trip to Easter Road for a Petrofac Training Cup first round clash against Hibernian on July 25 as Warburton was handed the toughest tie possible.

Dawson said: “It is a great test for him. He has got to go through the pre-season he wants, get the guys as fit as he can do. There have been a lot of changes already introduced.

“I think it will be a freshness that will help in the next year or two.

“He will want to [win it]. It is the first competitive game and it will hopefully lead to the first competitive trophy, which will set up the league in the long-run.

“He will set his short-term goals and his longer term goals and I am sure he will succeed.”

The clock is ticking for Warburton and assistant David Weir as they continue their preparations for the new campaign.

Rangers will begin their bid for the Championship title on August 8 and Murray Park kids coach Dawson reckons the signs are encouraging for the Light Blues so far.

He said: “I have not had a lot of contact with him at all.

“But it is good that he has come in and there is that freshness about him.

“He has got an experienced number two who knows the game in Scotland but he knows the style he wants to play and people that can do that that he is looking at and is looking to bring in. I think there will be quite a bit of change.”