HELANDER HAPPY TO BE THE MAIN GO-TO GUY

STEPPING into the Estadio do Dragao on Thursday evening inspired Filip Helander to produce his best performance yet in a Rangers jersey.

The Sweden centreback was strong and composed to limit the threat posed by Porto in the admirable 1-1 Europa League draw, his third successive outing in Group G.

While that marked out Helander as a key component of Steven Gerrard’s bid to secure continental football after Christmas, his domestic involvement has been more limited.

The £3million summer signing from Bologna has started only two Premiership matches ahead of today’s meeting with Motherwell, as Nikola Katic and George Edmundson have also been given run-outs alongside mainstay Connor Goldson.

Helander is now eager to become a Rangers regular, but stresses his happiness at being Gerrard’s go-to man for the biggest assignments.

Asked if he would now get a run in the team, the 26-year-old said: ‘We will see but I am pleased with my performance and I am pleased with the whole team. I think that this is the best game we have played since I came here.

‘Feyenoord was also a good game but this was probably the best game we have played.

‘I have been in and out of the team but that is the way it is when you have very good players and I just have to take all of my chances.

‘I have experience from this level before and that is why I think the manager chose to play me in this type of game.’

Like Helander, Borna Barisic turned in a peak display against Porto. The Croatian left-back’s sublime delivery for Alfredo Morelos created the vital away strike.

‘I watched the goal and after that I said to him that the first-touch cross was perfect,’ said Helander. ‘It was a good performance and not just for the goal.

‘It was a good finish from Buff and a fantastic cross from Borna.

‘It was a very good performance overall.’