Future tests are the goal for Helander

FILIP HELANDER has declared himself ready for the more glamorous challenges ahead of Rangers after a strong debut in the simple surroundings of Bayview.

The £3million Sweden centre-back set up Jermain Defoe for the opener in a 3-0 Betfred Cup win over East Fife before his second-half header was deflected in via opponent Ross Dunlop.

Helander is uncertain whether he will be able to claim a debut goal but feels the 90 minutes can be a launchpad for his Rangers career, having played catch-up on his fitness after a summer switch from Bologna.

The Ibrox side are entering a crucial fortnight, with Thursday night’s Europa League play-off first leg against Legia Warsaw in Poland beginning a four-game period that ends with an Old Firm match on September 1.

‘I’ve been training hard,’ said Helander. ‘Obviously we’ve been on a roll of good results so I’ve had to wait for my opportunity to come in to the team.

‘They’ve been playing well and scoring important goals, so it’s always hard for a manager to change it.

‘I was delighted to get my chance. I hope to play every game, especially the big matches we have coming up in Europe and at home.

‘The opponents today were maybe not at the same level as the ones to come but I feel I am ready to play. I’ve played against big teams before.

‘It’s always the manager’s decision but am I ready? Absolutely.

‘You want to play in the European games, I played a lot in Europe before. You always want to play these games and hopefully we can get a good result against Warsaw.’

Connor Goldson and Nikola Katic were Gerrard’s picks in the previous round against FC Midtjylland, but both were given a day off in Methil as Helander partnered George Edmundson in central defence.

They were among a total of ten changes made to the starting line-up, with the 26-year-old pleased to make an impact at the first attempt.

‘I managed to get an assist and I don’t know if I got a goal in the end,’ said Helander. ‘It was nice to get 90 minutes in hard conditions with the wind and astroturf.

‘But we got the job done and that was the important thing.

‘It’s always important to do the simple things first because we know we have good players up front who can score goals.

‘These games are not about showing the fans the fancy passes.

‘It was quite difficult out there with the wind, especially trying to deal with the long balls.

‘All I had to do was put it in to Jermain’s feet — he did the rest. So all credit to him.

‘The squad we have is really competitive and that’s a key thing for a successful team to play in two cups, Europe and the league. It’s very important we have a really good squad. I had not seen a lot of Scottish football before I came but I think we have a good team so far.’