Kenny Miller and I were on holiday with Graham last year and we spoke about him joining. But the truth is he would have walked to Ibrox SAYS LEE WALLACE

PEDRO CAIXINHA entered the bidding for Graham Dorrans this summer but the groundwork for the midfielder’s transfer to Ibrox was laid in Florida last year.

Amid a mixture of Portuguese, Mexican and Colombian signings welcomed into the Rangers dressing room this summer, Dorrans is the one player who required no introduction to the shop stewards at Ibrox.

Already known to Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller from international duty, the 30-year-old also spent some quality time with the senior pros and their families Stateside last summer.

Almost immediately after the Scottish Cup Final defeat to Hibs, Wallace and Miller headed to Florida for a break where they were joined by Dorrans, himself smarting from Norwich City’s relegation from the Premier League.

There was little persuasion required but club captain Wallace admits much time was spent discussing the practicalities and possibilities of getting the midfielder to Ibrox and into the jersey he admired since childhood.

‘A few of the families went to Florida,’ recalled Wallace.

‘Myself, Kenny and Andy Halliday were there — and so was Graham. Even at that point, he would have walked it to sign for us. It couldn’t quite happen then but thankfully it’s happened this summer.

‘That sums the boy up, he was just desperate to come back and play for his boyhood club.’

Dorrans started his career at Livingston before earning a move south to West Brom where he blossomed and emerged as a Premier League talent and full internationalist.

He moved to Norwich two years ago and remained a firm part of Alex Neil’s plans as he tried to plot a route back to the top tier last season.

If it proved impossible for Mark Warburton to get Dorrans to Rangers 12 months ago, the landscape at Carrow Road changed sufficiently to facilitate a deal.

Under a new head coach in German Daniel Farke and still stuck in English football’s second tier, costcutting was a priority this summer and agreement was reached to sell Dorrans to the Glasgow club.

‘Believe me, we did all we could to get him here even sooner,’ continued Wallace. ‘It was great that we just happened to be on the same holiday last year because Kenny and I could get the conversations going with him.

‘Graham wanted to represent Rangers, the side he’s loved for so many years. He wants to feel like he’s contributed to making the club successful and closing the gap on Celtic.

‘It speaks volumes for Graham that he’s here now and he’s going to be a fantastic addition. It’s brilliant to have a player who really wanted to be at Rangers. He believes he can make us better and I’m sure we’re going to see that.’

Dorrans arrived too late to do anything about the club’s Europa League defeat to Progres Niederkorn of Luxembourg but has provided instant evidence that he will improve Pedro Caixinha’s midfield.

Rangers closed out their preseason preparations with a win over English Championship contenders Sheffield Wednesday last weekend and one of the most pleasing aspects of the victory was the sight of Dorrans dove-tailing with fellow new recruit Ryan Jack in central midfield.

Wallace (right) and Dorrans go back a very long way and in fact teamed up at the Under-19 European Championships in 2006, where they helped Scotland progress to the final against Spain.

‘I played with Graham throughout the age levels and he scored our goal in that 2-1 defeat to Spain,’ added Wallace. ‘He’s still the same boy he was in Poland 11 years ago. He’s a quiet lad who just gets his head down and works hard, he’s always been that way.

‘But he gives 100 per cent, which is what we require. He speaks at the right time with relevance and he has a lot of experience.’

When Wallace made his full international debut against the Czech Republic in 2010, he found himself on the same team as Dorrans again. Scott Brown may have scored the winning goal in a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic but it was the midfielder — by then excelling at West Brom — who stood out.

‘Graham got the man-of-thematch award that night,’ said Wallace. ‘He was so calm during a tough period in the game for us. The Hampden crowd were on at us that night but he’d stay composed, use his touch, pick a pass and use his body well. ‘That was a great insight into his quality for me. I knew how good he was domestically but not at that level, in a full international game. He’s got that in abundance and it’ll great for how we want to play. ‘We still want to dominate the ball even though we’ve looked harder to beat in the last couple of weeks. We need players who are comfortable on the ball and can make forward passes.’ ‘Graham always had excellent technical ability in terms of the spaces he picks up. He’s always got a picture of the game in his head, so he’s already on the half-turn and knows his next pass. ‘He played a couple of brilliant slide passes at Hillsborough and produced a quick free-kick which led to our second goal. He’s a clever player, the kind we need. His quality will help us moving forward.’ Dorrans spent seven years at West Brom and, at one stage was reckoned to be on Arsene Wenger’s radar. The really big leap never quite came and even the last of his dozen Scotland caps came nearly two years ago when he started in the 6-0 away win over Gibraltar.

‘Graham might feel like he could have achieved more in his career in England, but I’m sure he’ll feel like he should have won more Scotland caps,’ said Wallace.

‘I’m not sure whether rumours linking him with Arsenal at one point were true but the fact that he’s played at that level for so many years makes me think he’ll be quite content with what he’s achieved.

‘He’s in the right place now, he’s at the club he loves and we’re all delighted that he’s on board.’

Rangers have rarely looked cohesive under Caixinha but with Bruno Alves and Fabio Cardoso providing a Portuguese pairing at the back and Dorrans and Jack anchoring midfield, Wallace sees signs that the team is starting to take on a balanced shape.

‘A strong spine will be important for us this season,’ he added.

‘Since the Marseille game, we’ve set up differently and there’s been a feeling of solidity about us.

‘I’m not saying it’ll be the perfect way for us all season. But in terms of the quality we faced, it was a tactical move from the gaffer that worked really well.

‘It’s been a positive couple of weeks and the guys like Graham, Ryan, Fabio and Bruno will be crucial for us moving forward.’