Incentive for me.. can cut it at Ibrox
Rossiter’s hellbent on finally doing himself justice at Gers... no matter who is manager GARY RALSTON
g.ralston@dailyrecord.co.uk pedigree. I would always try to be on top of my game.”
Rossiter has been handed a close-season training schedule to ensure he hits the ground running when he returns to the club in the middle of next month.
He signed a four-year contract in 2016 and is confident he can deliver on the promise he first showed coming through the Anfield academy.
He said: “I have had a tough time with injuries – everyone knows my injury record isn’t great. Hopefully I can put that all behind me.
“I just need to take it step by step. I need to keep doing the right things on and off the pitch. I need to keep living my life right, which I feel I have been.
“I have just been unfortunate with a few niggles and knocks.
“Sometimes this happens in football. You see a lot of young players getting certain injuries and things like that. I’m sure I’ll get back.
“The few years I have missed here I am sure I will get back at the end of my career.
“I am not going to go into too much detail but I did have an underlying problem which was causing other things.
“I couldn’t really get up to my best. I was coming back then I was out again. But since the end of February I have been fit.
“This has been the longest period since I came to Rangers I have been fit so that is positive.
“It is a bit disappointing to only get my chance in the last game of the season but I have been ready and waiting for it. Hopefully I took that chance.
“I haven’t played as much as the other lads so I need to keep the momentum going over the summer break and try to come back into pre-season flying.”
Rossiter’s strike, which hauled Rangers back to 3-2, was only the second of his senior career but he revelled in an occasion Hibs boss Neil Lennon described as “bonkers”. Rangers ended the season as the league’s top scorers with 76 but their goals against column of 50 tells the tale of their third-place finish, 12 points behind champions Celtic.
Rossiter, who started his first league game in almost two years, said: “I really enjoyed being back but I am a little bit disappointed we didn’t manage to win.
“We spoke about weathering the storm at the start and we certainly didn’t do that.
“But the lads showed a lot of character to get back into it.
“I probably didn’t enjoy my goal too much as we were still losing but there was a lot of relief in the goal more than enjoyment.
“It has been a disappointing season and everyone knows that. The fans deserve better than what we have done.
“Every club needs stability. In the longer run that is only going to help us and the players really need to get on board. It is a good group of lads. “I can’t really put my finger on where it has gone wrong but hopefully the lads will go into pre-season flying.”