Rangers defender Matt Polster loved his first taste of Ibrox

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The Rangers right-back was left impressed by the size and passion of Thursday’s crowd against St Joseph’s.

Matt Polster is settling into life at Rangers well and has spoken to The Daily Record about his first taste of action at Ibrox on Thursday.

Signing in January, Polster made his debut for the Gers back in April, coming off the bench late on against Hearts at Tynecastle.

However, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard only gave him his first taste of real action against St Joseph’s in UEFA Europa League qualifying through the week, with the American playing all 90 minutes of a 6-0 win.

It was Polster’s cross which allowed Jermain Defoe to score his first of the night, registering his first ever assist and showing he can contribute in attack just like James Tavernier.

Playing in front of the biggest crowd he’s ever experienced, the defender was clearly delighted with his Ibrox induction.

As quoted by The Daily Record, he said: “In our first home match in Europe we had over 46,000 fans there – and that was despite us being 4-0 up from the first leg.

“I have never known anything like that before.

“On Thursday night, on my home debut, I’ve never seen so many people in the one place for a game. It was incredible.”

Many Rangers fans would likely point out that he hasn’t seen anything yet, with derbies against Celtic and truly momentous European nights potentially to follow.

How much action Polster gets over the next 12 months remains to be seen, with Tavernier the clear first pick in the position.

However, a report in The Daily Mail has recently suggested that the Gers captain is attracting interest from Newcastle.

If he moves on then Polster could end up playing a very important role in Gerrard’s team.

Blooding the 26-year-old into the team gradually with opportunities like the one against St Joseph’s should be a priority for the Rangers boss.

Low-risk matches can allow the player acclimatise to playing in front of massive, expectant crowds even if his recent comments suggest he is taking to it all very nicely indeed.

After his first experience of Ibrox, he’ll now be out to prove he can be a long-term replacement and viable back-up for Tavernier.