'Different': New Rangers man in honest assessment of Ibrox environment after suffering career first

Aarons was one of head coach Russell Martin’s first signings during the summer after he agreed a season-long loan from English Premier League side Bournemouth.

The 25-year-old started the campaign as a first choice, either at right-back or left-back, but a red card in the second leg of the heavy Champions League play-off defeat by Club Brugge in late August cost him his place in the team.

Aarons came off the bench to score a stoppage-time winner for Rangers at Livingston to clinch their first Premiership victory of the season in six attempts and the former Norwich City and Valencia man hopes that moment is a turning point in his and Rangers’ season as a whole.

The Ibrox club was once again backed by a strong travelling support at the Home of the Set Fare Arena, although the anti-Martin chants persisted throughout the game and even after Aarons had struck the winner. The loanee accepted that the environment at Rangers is something he has never experienced before.

“It's different,” said Aarons. “I don't mean that in a bad way, I think it's just something that in your first few games you really realise it, and then it's about overcoming that and showing that character to deal with that.

“I also think it's a privilege to have that support, coming here to an away stadium and having three stands, it felt like a home game. And then it's on us to reward them with a good performance for them to watch, but most importantly a win.

“The more we can do that now, hopefully those wins are going to really push us forward and build a stronger relationship now with the group, the fans, everyone.”

Martin still has backing of the Rangers players

Martin remains under serious pressure from much of the Rangers support, but Aarons dispelled any notion that he has lost the support of the dressing room.

"Yeah, I don't think there was ever anything in that,” continued Aarons. “On the pitch, that's down to us. The way we're going to play and our performance level is down to us. And I think as the weeks are going on now, we don't like it being this late into the season to get that first win, but I feel like we're starting to get better and perform with each other and get relationships.”

Aarons revealed that his red card was a personal blow and that he was desperate to make up for a costly moment in Belgium that left his teammates in the lurch, going down to a 6-0 defeat to Club Brugge.

“No-one was more disappointed than myself with that,” said Aarons. “I've never been sent off in my career. A moment like that, a lapse in concentration, was extremely disappointing for me, especially in a crucial game like that.

“It was always going to be a difficult game for the team, let alone with ten men, so I knew I wanted to make up for that as quickly as possible and the first chance since that game on the pitch was Sunday, so hopefully in a small way I've done that.

“I think at this football club we need to have a strong mentality and character and show that every week, and I think, like I said today, it was a good start and a good win.”

Rangers are in eighth place in the table, seven points behind Celtic in second and nine adrift of early leaders Hearts. They also lost their first Europa League match against Genk and face Sturm Graz in Austria on Thursday night before a trip to Falkirk. Aarons wants the team to build on their display at Livingston and pick up more wins.

“The aim is to be at the top part of the table, and that's what we've got to do,” added Aarons. “We have to start that with the European game and then the league can continue.

“I think we can compete, and like I've seen before at Ibrox, there's been great European nights. We have to continue with that.”