JERMAIN DEFOE believes ‘it is only a matter of time’ before Rangers ‘achieve something special’ at Ibrox.

The striker has been an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s side so far this term and has helped fire them to top spot in the Premiership and into the group stages of the Europa League.

Rangers make the trip to Hearts this weekend aiming to continue their impressive form that has seen them lose just once - away to Young Boys earlier this month - since the Old Firm defeat to Celtic.

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Boss Gerrard played down his side moving top of the table before the international break but Defoe is excited about what could lie ahead.

Defoe said: “We’re confident. We have to be. When I sit in the changing room and I look at the players who are beside me you have to be confident. There is a lot of internationals and a lot of young players who are hungry, we’ve got a good mix.

“I don’t want to talk too much and you have to respect everyone in the league, you have to respect Celtic. But if we continue what we’re doing and the lads keep working hard in training and keep listening to the managers and the coaches then with the spirit we’ve got at the club now it’s only a matter of time before we achieve something special. But it’s important we keep our head down and keep working hard.

“I would be happy to finish there and hopefully achieve something special because the fans deserve it.

“The demands of that football club, the history of that football club and when you walk down the tunnel, on the left hand side you can see all the legends on the wall and I always say to the lads, ‘if we achieve something special our names will be there’.

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“We can come back as old men and you look on that wall and your name is there and nobody can take that away from you. We have to put the hard work in.

“It’s so nice when you walk into the stadium and you feel that history, you see the trophies on the wall and you want to be a part of that. If you love football and you are ambitious and you’re at a club like Rangers then you want to stay as long as possible.”