DAVID BATES is determined to continue making his mark at Rangers as he eyes a place in Pedro Caixinha’s Ibrox blueprint next season.

The defender has made six appearances for the Gers in recent weeks after being given his chance to shine in Light Blue.

He is in line to partner Clint Hill at the heart of the defence against Aberdeen this evening as Rangers play their penultimate Premiership fixture of a frustrating campaign.

And Bates hopes he has another reason to celebrate against Derek McInnes’ side following an impressive win at Pittodrie earlier in the season.

He said: “In the game up at Aberdeen we dug in at times but to come away with a 3-0 up there was brilliant.

“We want to keep winning, and the gaffer had put a task to us to go and win as many games as we can.

“Hopefully we can win our next two and show the gaffer what we can do in the process.

“For me, I want to try and finish the season well to keep myself in the gaffer’s plans and hopefully kick on next year.”

Rangers head into the Dons clash having recorded successive league wins over Partick Thistle and Hearts as they have bounced back from their back-to-back Old Firm defeats.

Goals from Joe Garner and Barrie McKay were enough to see off the Jambos on Saturday but Bates admits it wasn’t a completely satisfactory afternoon for Caixinha and his players.

“It was good to get the win which was the most important thing, but we played better when both teams had 11 men,” he told rangers.co.uk.

“We kept the ball well in the first half and had a couple of chances – I had a chance and Clint had a chance, and there were a few half chances too.

“We need to start putting teams to bed early on and the gaffer said that to us at half time to kill teams off quicker.

“The longer the game goes at 1-0 or 2-1, teams still have a sniff as Hearts did at the end.”