IT has been a long season and now that we are getting to the end of it, the clubs will hold their award dinners and the various prizes will be given out over the next few weeks.

Rangers held their Player of the Year dinner on Sunday and it was a chance for the players to show their appreciation to the fans for their backing over the campaign.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been a successful season in terms of silverware for Steven Gerrard’s side but there has definitely been progress this term and the supporters are in a better place now than they were this time last year.

It is brilliant going to these events when you already have the League Cup in the bag or you are going for the title or the Scottish Cup.

You have to go and see the fans that have paid their money to watch you all year and it is a chance for the players to relax a little bit. But you know you still have a job to do in the final weeks of the season.

And everyone at Rangers will hope that there is better to come from Gerrard’s side next term.

The reaction to the defeat to Celtic has been positive and Rangers just need to win as many of their five remaining games as possible.

It shows the resilience the squad have got to come back from that and beat Hearts and Motherwell 3-0 in the space of a couple of days.

The results and the performances have been impressive and it speaks to the mentality that Steven has put into the dressing room.

It would certainly have made for a better mood at the awards night.

I think events like that mean a lot to the players, especially when you pick up an award and your efforts are recognised. That is an honour.

It makes those nights more enjoyable when you have had a good season and I had that at Ibrox.

It does make a difference when the team has been been successful but I am sure the Rangers fans appreciate the efforts of Steven and the players over the last few months.

Any time you win anything as a player, of course it means a lot and I enjoyed these dinners at every club that I was at. It is all part of being at a club when you mix with the fans.

On Sunday night, it was Alfredo Morelos that took home the Player of the Year and the Players’ Player of the Year prizes, as well as the Sam English Bowl for top scorer.

I think it speaks volumes for how highly regarded he is in the dressing room when he picks up the award from his team-mates.

Everyone goes on about his disciplinary record. As I have said, he is young, he will make mistakes but he will learn and ge better.

That award shows that the dressing room have got his back, that they are with him and obviously he is a fan favourite as well.

He has arguably been the best player in the Premiership this season and his scoring record speaks for itself. But his all-round play has been really impressive as well and he will be frustrated that he doesn’t have more than the 29-goals that he does have so far this season.

I would imagine there would have been a few of the boys that had a word with Alfredo, both at half-time and full-time, at Parkhead.

But that doesn’t mean that they don’t rate him or know his worth.

They know that you need to keep your cool in the big games but the players clearly respect him and understand how important he is to the team when he is on form.

To take home the Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year will mean a lot to Alfredo and you have to say it is thoroughly deserved.