IF Rangers can go all the way to the Scottish Cup final this season, that game at Hampden will be their 62nd fixture of the campaign.

That is a lot of football for any team to play, but I don’t think it will have too negative an impact on Steven Gerrard’s side as they try and win a bit of silverware this term.

When our team under Walter Smith played 68 games as we went for the Treble and reached the UEFA Cup final, we had a good squad of players and the manager could change it at times.

That season, it was really the close proximity of the fixtures at the end of the season that took its toll.

We played in Manchester, at Pittodrie and at Hampden inside just a couple of days.

I think we coped with the season and the demands of the games well but come the final few weeks we weren’t even training. It was just all about recovery.

People were out on their feet and boys were having injections to get them through. We just got on with it and we didn’t have a lot left in the tank going into those important games right at the end.

We did have a pretty big a squad at that time and Steven Gerrard will be desperate to get his key players on the park as often as possible.

Playing 62 games, if they do get to Hampden, would be a lot but I don’t see it being too much of a factor because Steven and his staff will manage the squad correctly.

It was a problem for us because we had as many extremely important games in such a short space of time. Hopefully it won’t impact Rangers this season.

When you are playing for such a big club, you need to win every single game and the basis for that is to work harder, run faster and further and put in more effort than the opposition. Then, the quality you have got will shine through.

It is not as if you just turn up and win. Every game in that league is a cup final for the other team and the away games especially are difficult.

You can play 62 games for other teams and find it pretty easy. But there is a mental side that has to be taken into account when you are doing it for Rangers and doing it under the pressure that you are when you wear that jersey.

It is all about being professional, recovering well and focusing on the next game. You don’t go out and celebrate in the wrong ways, you watch what you put in your body and how you eat, sleep and drink.

Having that siege mentality in the dressing room helps as well. The only focus is winning games and you don’t let any negative thoughts come in collectively and individually.

That comes from the top and we were lucky that we had Walter, Coisty and Kenny McDowall and a good staff around them, plus some big figures in the dressing room.

Back then, playing 68 games, and games of that importance, was some going and unfortunately we just came up short in a couple of them at the end and didn’t get the success that we all wanted.

If Rangers do get to 62, that is a good sign because it means they will have a shot at the Scottish Cup and a bit of silverware this season.

That number of games can be managed because they won’t be coming as thick and fast as they were during our season more than a decade ago now.

I don’t see it being a problem as long as those things are right in the dressing room and when you have the likes of Allan McGregor and Steven Davis in there, I know the approach will be spot on during these final few weeks of the season.