MARTYN WAGHORN didn’t pull on his boots and take to the hallowed turf at Hampden. But the Rangers striker still kicked every ball from the stands against Celtic.

The Old Firm clash came a couple of weeks too soon for Waghorn as he recovered from the knee injury that has kept him out of action since February.

His pleas to boss Mark Warburton to let him be part of derby day fell on deaf ears as he was forced to watch on rather than be involved in the heat of battle.

Waghorn took to the park to celebrate with the Gers in the aftermath of the shoot-out success that clinched a Scottish Cup final spot and gave him a target to work towards as he looks to fire Warburton’s side to Hampden glory next month.

And the 26-year-old is determined to repay the Light Blue legions for their support throughout the season by ending the campaign with a unique Treble in the Ibrox trophy cabinet.

“It was different class. It was the best game I have ever been to,” Waghorn said.

“The atmosphere, the build-up, and the way the boys handled themselves. There was so much hype and talk about Celtic, but we handled it great.

“We played our own game and for the first half hour we were unbelievable. The way it was and the way it was set up, it was different class from the lads how they went about it.

“As a fan watching it on the side, it was a bit nerve wracking at times but it was a great spectacle.

“You see the fans turning out week in week out. We have 50,000 at Ibrox and we are selling out three sides of the stadium away most times.

“It is important that the boys appreciate what they go through on a weekly basis. It is important that the fans understand what we go through as well. We are very lucky.

“They see what we do and we appreciate what they do for us. This year, I hope they realise that we appreciate the support and the help and we will go again.

“It has been a good combination of not being too distant and keeping them in the loop and appreciating the support.”

After several weeks out of action, Waghorn will return to the Rangers squad for the trip to St Mirren tomorrow afternoon as Warburton’s side round off their Championship schedule.

While the striker had to watch on as the Gers clinched the title, lifted the Petrofac Training Cup and then beat Celtic, he has also had to witness a poor recent run in the aftermath of Old Firm triumph.

Defeats to Hibernian and Livingston either side of the draw with Alloa last weekend have left fans frustrated as Warburton’s side have let their levels slip.

Victory over the Buddies would be a welcome one to end the second tier blip and Waghorn is eager to get back on the field and play his part once again.

He said: “I’m desperate to play. It’s been a frustrating time and I’m desperate to get back out there and finish the season the way I started it.

“It’s important that everyone gets back to the standards they set two or three weeks ago. The last few matches haven’t been good enough from everyone, so we have to show what we can do.

“The boys haven’t done too bad without me, though, so I’m looking forward to getting back out there.”

The fact that Rangers have dropped a handful of points in the last few days ultimately counts for little in the Championship standings but it has been a frustrating spell for the Light Blues.

The three week break ahead of the final showdown with Hibernian will give Warburton plenty of time to get his side in shape for a shot at glory.

And Waghorn is already counting down the days to a return to Hampden as the Gers set their sights on the silverware once again.

He said: “It’s going to be my biggest game to date, to be honest. Being at Hampden, many players never get the chance to do that.

“After Sunday we’ll continue our preparations for that game and I am so excited, I am like a little kid at the minute.

“At the minute I am just taking it one step at a time. I’m just visualising getting my kit on and walking out in front of the fans. Then I’ll take it from there.

“I’m just so excited for the build-up and what we could achieve.”