Rangers must stand up to the 'fire' in Gorgie as Nicolas Raskin ready to take Motherwell frustration out on Hearts

Their opening post-split fixture was supposed to offer the Ibrox outfit a fresh injection of energy and set them up nicely for one last title surge. Instead, Rangers saw their silverware ambitions suffer a major setback as they attempt to avoid a second successive campaign without a trophy.

Having worked hard to get back within striking distance of their title rivals at the Premiership summit, Rangers went into their clash with the Steelmen with an opportunity to apply pressure on Hearts, but let it slip to leave them with ground to make up on Derek McInnes’ table-toppers and Celtic.

For Nicolas Raskin, the pain and frustration of that dispiriting 3-2 defeat has been at the forefront of his mind ever since the final whistle sounded. But the Belgian international recognises he has a leading role to play in keeping spirits high around the training centre as one of the most experienced members in Danny Rohl’s armoury.

“Yeah, obviously it's not nice, especially when we've worked so hard to come back to that position,” the 25-year-old reflected. “That's what is even more frustrating for us. But we can't go back to that game, it's done. Now it’s about us and how we can bounce back from that performance, how do we adapt on the pitch, how do we react as a team and how do we go forward. We know it’s a do or die game (against Hearts), we cannot hide or say anything else. That is the case.

Rangers fully prepared for make-or-break Hearts match

“It's either we win and we are in it or we lose and it's going to be very tough for us. So we all know what’s at stake, it's very clear to everyone. We want our chances to keep increasing and we know what it’s going to take. Last week was very disappointing but we need to learn from that and grow with each game.

“I think it's been a really good season for them (Hearts). They always find a way to win games, which is what matters, especially right now. So we know what we need to do, and we're going there to win but we know it's going to be tough.

“We know when we go there, the first 10 or 15 minutes is going to be fire because we beat them last time. They're going to come with everything and their fans will be up for it. So we need to go there and have personality and show that we are very strong as a team. I don’t think we need to focus on quieting their fans. It's more about going there to win the game and make sure we can close the gap.”

Raskin determined to fulfil silverware dream with Rangers

Raskin has harboured aspirations of winning silverware since the moment he first set foot inside Ibrox and feels he has yet to fulfil everything he wants to achieve at Rangers. With the league title almost within touching distance, he is eager to avoid more heartbreak.

Accusations have been made that Rangers lack a winning mentality when it comes to the crunch. Quizzed on whether that annoys him or if there is an acceptance that until a trophy is locked away in the cabinet, that will continue to linger, Raskin said: “Until we win something big, I think that's always going to be there. But I don't think we can talk about mentality when a team comes back from 13 points behind to a position where you can still win the title. So it's a bit... I won't say unfair, but until we win a big thing it's always going to be a question mark.

“Winning trophies is something we've been dreaming of and that I've been dreaming of since I came to the club. I was so disappointed after the last game because I knew it was a big chance for us, but in football you don't have time to be disappointed. It’s about how you respond. I think there's still going to be points dropped by teams around us, so we just need to focus on the next goal and make sure we produce the best performance we can.

“If we don't believe in ourselves then no-one else is going to believe in us. We need to believe we can do it. We know we can do it, we've shown it during the season. Everyone has a part to play, even the guys that are a little bit quieter by showing the intensity in training, showing that everyone wants to win. It's easy to talk just now, but it's now up to us to get three points.”

On a personal note, it has been a season like no other for Raskin. It began with a high-profile fallout with previous boss Russell Martin that saw him fall out of favour. Fast forward eight months, he is now viewed as a key cog in Rohl’s revamped squad.

Asked what he has learned most about his own mental resilience over the course of the campaign, Raskin responded: “Probably that football changes so quick that if you want to succeed, you might need to try to leave a bit of the emotion of winning or losing a game. At the end, every game is all three points. A big victory is no more than a small victory.

“I think it's more trying to be calm in every situation and always put yourself in for the next game. Get ready for the next game, next game and not getting carried away with losing or winning. I think that would be the main thing I've learned.”

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