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  • Rousseau changed the title to Pre-Season

GREG DOCHERTY was wracked with guilt after letting the Rangers fans down last season.

But the midfielder insists those disappointments have only made him more determined to put a smile back on their faces.

Docherty joined his boyhood heroes in a £650,000 deal from Hamilton last January.

The 21-year-old was hoping to help the Ibrox men claim second spot in the Premiership and claim a first Scottish Cup since 2009.

Docherty started off impressively winning his first eight games.

However, the wheels then came spectacularly off as they suffered three quick-fire Old Firm reverses including an embarrassing 4-0 semi-final defeat at Hampden.

Docherty found it hard to look supporters in the eye after pitiful displays although he still feels those experiences will benefit him under the new Steven Gerrard regime.

He said: “Results didn’t pan out the way we hoped at the end of the season. Before that we were on a long unbeaten run. It was fantastic. Then the wheels came off a little bit.

“Of course it is very difficult because you never want to get beaten in that manner, no matter who it is. “It was a semi-final of a cup that we wanted to win and that was one of our aims as a team.

“But that is football and I feel more resilient now. I have learned from it, as a squad we have learned from it and we have moved on. “It was harsh and a lot of harsh words were spoken, and rightly so.

“It was needed. It is put behind us and we are wanting to better that. We are determined to not let that happen again. “I feel mentally a lot tougher, more resilient and I can go into this season, having learned from the disappointment of last season.

“That was the benefit of going in January. I knew that going towards the end of the season, I would learn a lot and it would only stand me in good stead for coming back. I can really have a go at this season.

“It’s obviously a lot more gutting than I’d been used to but that’s what I wanted. “I was under no illusions when I joined this club that that was how it was going to be. When I was going out and speaking to people, you feel bad. You feel kind of guilty. But that’s just the way it is.

“You can see when it does go well how happy everyone is. So you want that success.

“You know the fans are craving success. If I’m part of the squad that can bring that, then I will be absolutely delighted.

“It’s a fresh start. There’s no point in looking behind you. You’ve got to look forward. You have to look ahead to the future.”

Docherty believes the arrival of Gerrard has reinvigorated a squad that badly under-performed under Pedro Caixinha and Graeme Murty.

The youngster is convinced this is going to be start of something special for Gers and he is anxious to make sure he is invited along for the ride.

He said: “I knew before I came in, because of the type of guy he was as a player, what would be needed and that he’d grab people by the scruff of the neck and say ‘come on’.

“It just shows that he is going to do that again. We are a team here and that is what he said. “We are a team and we need to be in it together. “Things can change in an instant in football, so you have to be part of it while you can and you never know what’s round the corner.

“So you’ve got to push and for us as players we know if you let your standards drop you might miss the bus, and I want to be on the bus. “I want to keep going, I want to keep pushing forward and I know we are only going to go places and for us as players it’s exciting.

“There is a real buzz about coming back and everyone was smiling on the first day. “You see the changes at the training ground as well and I want to be part of this journey. I think everyone here wants to be part of it and it is an exciting road ahead.

“They’ve told us that from day one, they are trying to impress us as much as we are trying to impress them. “So that was nice for us to hear as players and you can relax a wee bit.”

Gerrard has made improving the fitness of his players the number one priority during their ten-day training camp in Spain.

And the Liverpool legend has also told his players he will not tolerate any slackers. Docherty is arguably the fittest player in the entire squad.

He added: “The boss just said the standards need to be raised higher, the Europa League is coming round quickly and we need to be ready to go.

“If you want to be part of it then stick with us and if not then there’s the door.

“Everyone wants to push themselves now and it’s going to be a tough week but we know that as players. It’s pre-season and you expect that.

“But the standards have been very high and if we continue to improve we’re looking good.”

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/2805254/rangers-greg-docherty/

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