NIKO KRANJCAR admits he and Rangers have a point to prove this term after a nightmare campaign at Ibrox.

The Croatian made just 15 appearances last season before he was ruled out of action for several months with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

He had to watch on as the Light Blues finished third in the Premiership and suffered Old Firm defeats in the semi-finals of the League Cup and Scottish Cup.

But now Kranjcar is determined to make amends as the Gers prepare to return to action against Progres Niederkorn on Thursday night.

He said: “I always felt a part of it last season, I did all my rehab here and I was involved in, unfortunately, a really bad season for us.

“I feel part of that team, even though I wasn’t available for selection I do feel part of a team who underperformed largely last season.

“When we got back this summer we started hearing that the fans were going to support us in our first game this season in such numbers.

“There is a lot of appreciation and gratitude towards the support. An appreciation to play for such an important club in the world, a massive obligation to give your all for the cause and for the results of this football club.

“It is a new season and a new start, not only for me but for the football club, because we cannot allow anything similar to happen as did last season.

“I hope I am going to get a chance to prove myself again because for me this is early stages after being out for so long and I have to prove myself every day and in every game.

“It’s up to me to prove to my teammates and my manager that I am still good enough to play.

“It’s the manager’s decision as to whether I start, I have been working towards that and I honestly feel physically good and that I can compete. If I didn’t feel that way I wouldn’t be sitting here.”

Kranjcar has yet to play a competitive fixture for boss Pedro Caixinha but has been involved against TNS, Coleraine and St Johnstone this summer.

And he is refusing to dwell on his time on the sidelines as he looks forward to the big kick-off at Ibrox.

He told RangersTV: “The knee is great, I haven’t had any problems since I started back with the team, I had already joined in before the summer and done a month of full training.

“You can’t have anything in the back of your mind, up until now I had had a nice career, I had had ups and downs in it but going into the last stages of my career there are no doubts in my mind.

“If something happens it happens but I am not going to dwell on it, I am not going to think about it and I’ll just enjoy my football.”