Thursday 20 October 2016 19:25, UK
Lee Wallace admits he has cast an envious eye at Celtic's Champions League group but retains hope he can lead Rangers out in the competition next season.
Celtic were drawn alongside Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach but sit bottom of Group C after a 2-0 defeat to the Bundesliga side on Wednesday night.
After a disappointing start to the Scottish Premiership season, Rangers have won two in a row but still trail Brendan Rodgers' side by seven points having played a game more.
However, skipper Wallace has not given up hope it will be his side running out on Europe's biggest stage next term.
"I'm watching Barcelona-Manchester City last night and of course there is envy there. You want to be playing at those levels," he said.
"That's why I came to this club. That's why a number of guys have signed for this club. As a Rangers player that's where you want to be.
"But we know how we're going to get there. It will take hard work but hopefully this time next season we're in a similar position."
Celtic were outclassed by their German opponents on Wednesday who quelled the threats posed by the likes of Moussa Dembele, Scott Sinclair and Kieran Tierney.
Despite last month's 5-1 Parkhead defeat, Wallace has been buoyed by recent wins over Partick Thistle and Inverness and insists his team will not be walked over so easily this time when the pair meet in Sunday's Betfred Cup semi-final.
"Of course Celtic will be disappointed after last night," he said. "They've had some really tough fixtures with their Champions League opponents.
"They are in a tough group with some elite teams but I'm sure they will be ready for Sunday in the same way we are prepared for it. We're definitely in a better place than the last game. We're feeling a lot better about ourselves.
"We've got some good momentum behind us. The last two results have been two clean sheets and performances have been starting to gather. We learn lessons from every game, no matter if it's a 5-0 win or we lose in the manner we did last time."
Rangers' last visit to Hampden ended in chaotic fashion as shameful scenes broke out in the wake of their Scottish Cup final defeat to Hibernian.
Wallace was blunt when he insisted his team had no security concerns following on from the ugly crowd trouble but did stress they were not motivated by the desire to settle scores with critics who have barely relented with their jibes since that day.
"It's always about proving points - but to ourselves, our team-mates, our manager, our fans and our families," he said. "That's the only way we look at it.
"Of course it was disappointing the last time we were here but credit to Hibs on the day, they were fully deserving of their win.
"But we're going to be stronger for that experience. Hopefully myself and my team-mates can get ourselves back to the position where we're in cup finals and winning Rangers silverware in years to come. There's absolutely no doubt that we'll be stronger because of these moments."
