Rangers continue to make rapid improvements under Steven Gerrard.
Rangers certainly had to work extremely hard to grind out a draw away to Villarreal on Thursday, but it was another huge step towards the club returning to its former heights.
The 2-2 result in Spain was proof that Steven Gerrard’s side can compete in the Europa League this campaign and are a team on the rise.
It was remarkably four years ago on Thursday that the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw away to Alloa Athletic in a Scottish Championship match.
David Templeton netted a late equaliser in that game for Rangers and that must seem a long time ago for supporters now.
Since then the Light Blues have managed to break back into the top flight and have had back-to-back third-placed finishes in the league.
Gerrard was appointed in the summer as the new man at the helm tasked with helping Rangers close the gap even further domestically, with Aberdeen and reigning champions Celtic in their sights.
There is no doubt that they are now a completely different animal under Gerrard and the financial backing he received in the transfer window has helped him remould the squad at Ibrox.
After the spirited display against Villarreal in midweek, it shows how far Rangers have come in the last four years.
But there is certainly plenty more work to be done to get them back in the hunt for silverware and Gerrard will be well aware he must keep on improving the team.
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