CLINT BACKS PEDRO BID FOR SILVERWARE

CLINT HILL hopes Rangers can take another step on the road to recovery by lifting cup silverware at Hampden this season.

The defender became a firm favourite with supporters during his time at Ibrox last term but was released by boss Pedro Caixinha as part of his summer clear-out.

Rangers finished a distant third on their return to the Premiership and suffered double disappointments in the Betfred Cup and Scottish Cup as they lost two Old Firm semi-final clashes.

Now Caixinha will take his side to the National Stadium to face Motherwell on Sunday as the Gers look to set up a final showdown with Celtic or Hibernian.

And Hill knows second spot and a

winner’s medal this term would represent another important milestone for Rangers after a difficult few years on and off the park.

He told SportTimes: “There are two or three objectives for this season and one of them has to be to close the gap points wise from last season.

“In the head-to-head games, they need to close the gap in them as well and get results here and there to give confidence and a bit more belief.

“And they have to beat the other teams and finish second. That is a bad thing to say because Rangers can’t accept second, but they have got to close the gap points wise and performance wise against Celtic and hopefully that gives them some momentum for the next 12 to 18 months.

“It is a big opportunity for them because every cup that Rangers go into the minimum expectation is to get to a final.

“Unfortunately in the semis that we played in we came across a really good team and we couldn’t reach a final.

“It is a great opportunity to go a do that now when they play Motherwell at Hampden.

“The fans will expect the team to get into the final and challenge for a trophy, which would be brilliant for everybody if they could win it.”