Kemar Roofe returns with a goal as attention turns to Champions League for Rangers

Michael Beale is looking for Rangers striker Kemar Roofe to kick on after his first start in 16 months brought the opener in the 2-0 cinch Premiership win over Ross County.

Despite the recruitment of nine players this summer, the Light Blues manager spoke on Friday about the 30-year-old striker and attacker Tom Lawrence being key to his plans this season.

The former Leeds player, who has been troubled by injury problems during his time at Ibrox, repaid that confidence in him after 22 minutes in Dingwall with a close-range finish.

Skipper James Tavernier scored a terrific second four minutes later and there was a further boost when Lawrence, out for a year with a knee injury, came on in the second half.

Beale said: “We see Kemar every single day so we know what he has been through. We know he is a leader, he has had some issues and not been able to help us.

“He has been out for a long, long time and he was able to play and score, that is a good trait to have.

“Let’s hope he can stay fit and it was nice to see Tom Lawrence back as well.

“Those two guys have seen a lot and they will help the dressing room at a time when we have a lot of new guys coming in.”

The victory sets Rangers up for the second leg of their Champions League play-off game against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday night with the tie sitting at 2-2 from the first leg at Ibrox.

Gers boss Beale is optimistic about the trip to the Netherlands to play a side Rangers beat at the same stage of the tournament last year, after a 2-2 draw at Ibrox was followed by a 1-0 away win.

He said: “It is a really tough challenge because I think they are a high quality team with a quality coach, but we will go there and give it a right go. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“They know we can score against them. They know our football club and everything about it.

“We are not a secret…sometimes I wish we were. We obviously played them last year and we put a good face to our club in the way we approached the game, the way we were resilient.

“We did the same in midweek. I thought it was clear they were a good team but I thought we fought, harassed, pressured them, we gave them big problems in terms of our speed and pressing. It is important we do the same in midweek.

“I think there will be big spaces on the pitch because they will certainly come for us. It is important that when we get our opportunities we take them.”

Malky Mackay was let rueing a huge Jordan White chance against Rangers, when the striker headed wide at the start of the second half.

The County boss said: “We have a great chance with Jordan with a header. On another day that takes it down to a goal.

“It puts a little bit of pressure on Rangers in terms of any slip or mistake then becomes a draw.

“You have to take your chance against the Old Firm.

“A couple of weeks ago at Parkhead we should have taken our good chances. Rangers took their half chances, the two goals they scored were half chances. They had other chances as well but they were clinical.”