Rangers: Mark Hateley backing Jermain Defoe to bag medals in Glasgow blue

And Hateley has highlighted the respect with which Rangers boss Steven Gerrard is held across the game as key to the captures of players like Defoe and Steven Davis.

“Jermain’s been unfortunate through his career as he hasn’t won a lot,” said Hateley, who won 11 trophies across two spells in Glasgow and was speaking at the launch of Premier Sports’ Scottish Cup coverage. “What is it, a League Cup with Tottenham? He didn’t even play in the final as he’d moved to Portsmouth.

“So he’s at the stage where he’ll be looking to add a few pieces of silverware together.

“And he’s come to this club at a time where we are hungry for that again.

“For a man who’s scored 162 Premier League goals to end his career not having won a medal in his own right would be a tragedy.

“At the age he is now, that will be niggling him - but he’s coming to a club that offers him the chance to put that right.

“Cast your mind back to the Graeme Souness era.

“When he arrived, all of a sudden the club was able to attract the England captain, the England full-back, then another England player, then another.

“The fact Souness was here was the crucial factor when I signed.

“That’s how it works - people want to work with a character and you can see that now with Steven in charge.

“He carries that same kudos, he was a great player with a lot of experience.”