John Souttar in brutally honest Rangers fess up after seeing off Celtic – 'We've not backed it up'

It's been a campaign of false dawns for the Ibrox outfit - but Souttar hopes the derby win will prove the big turning point

Ten perfect days have at last given Rangers something to smile about.

But John Souttar knows his side will again find themselves slumping from heroes to zeroes if they fail to build on this latest period of promise.

It’s been a campaign of false dawns for the Ibrox outfit with big European performances repeatedly followed by deflating, devastating domestic results.

They’ve now beaten Celtic for the second successive derby yet remain 13 points adrift of their treble-chasing foes.

But Souttar is hoping Sunday’s sensational show at Celtic Park will prove at long last to be the turning point. The derby triumph comes on the back of their gruelling two-game shoot out with Fenerbahce.

They were forced to go the distance on Thursday night as Jose Mourinho’s Turls overturned the 3-1 win Gers had sauntered too in Istanbul last week, surviving a test of nerve to progress on penalties.

But with just a couple of days to rest their weary legs, Barry Ferguson’s men found the energy to go wire to wire again, with Hamza Igamane’s 88th-minute winner sparking bedlam in the newly restored away end.

Rangers will now have a chance to rest up over the international break and SOuttar hopes that winning feeling will linger a little longer this time.

He said: “Over the last week and a half, we’ve had three big results — but that’s all it is really. We have to find consistency throughout the season.

"There’s no point dwelling on today and getting too far ahead of ourselves. We have to enjoy today because we deserve it but that’s as far as it goes.

“It was a good feeling. It was obviously frustrating losing two goal having been two up

"I thought we started the game well. It’s always nice to get a win late on, especially with the fans back in, so it’s a good feeling.

“This season has brought a lot of frustration, but that means we won’t get carried away with this one result because there’s no point in doing it on a one-off. You need to keep doing it through the season.

"That’s what the gaffer’s been drilling in to us, how important the league games are and it’s something we need to put our foot on.

"These games take care of themselves. We have a lot to prove even domestically. We need to keep that consistency. We’ve had big results before in the league and we’ve not backed it up.

"On the European front, it’s a great opportunity for us. I think Thursday kept the season going and you saw how Ibrox was, so the more nights we can have like that the better.”

The more of these results Ferguson manages, the more likely the caretaker gaffer is to be talked up for the job on a permanent basis. He’s refusing to get involved in that chat and so was Souttar.

But the Scotland defender has certainly been impressed by the way the former national team skipper has performed since taking up the caretaker reigns.

He said: ”The gaffer is big on character, creating that winning mentality, and knowing what it is to play for Rangers. He’s been there, he’s done that, so you need to listen. He’s drilling that into us every single day.

“[His future], that’s out of my hands, but all I can say is that I’m enjoying working under him and all the players are as well.”

Praising captain James Tavernier too, he added: "It’s what the skipper is, he never hides no matter what position the club is and how they’re performing. He gets asked to play in multiple positions and he’s been outstanding the past three games. He’s someone who everyone in the dressing room respects greatly.”

Two up through goals from Nico Raskin and Mohamed Diomande at the interval, it was looking good for Ferguson’s team early on at Celtic Park.

But the hosts came roaring back as Gers’ legs tired to level it up through strikes from Japanese aces Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate.

With Ferguson roaring his team on from the touchline, however, Rangers found the reserves from somewhere to launch one last go at Kasper Schmeichel’s goal as Igamane lashed home a stunning winner.

Souttar - who’d missed three weeks out ahead of the Fenerbahce first leg - said: "Obviously coming back and playing three massive games, that’s why you want to play football. I’m feeling good.

“Thursday took a lot out of us and we gave everything there, but we knew we had to do it again on Sunday and that’s what you have to do if you play for a club like Rangers.

"Today we did, and it’s important going forward that we keep doing that.”

The winning goal sparked wild scenes among the 2400 Gers fans who were back on opposition territory for the first time since 2023.

"Supporters add to the whole atmosphere, I think everyone wants them back,” said Souttar. “It’s better for both sides. It’s what you grew up watching, the atmosphere adds to it, and it was enjoyable.”

Souttar now heads off on international duty with Steve Clarke’s Scotland side. But he will have to sit out next month’s opening tie against Athletic Bilbao as Rangers aim to march through to the Europa League’s last four.

A booking picked up against Fenerbahce means he will be suspended with the La Liga high-flyers visits Ibrox.

Souttar groaned: ”It’s a killer, obviously you want to play those massive games at Ibrox, it’ll be an unbelievable occasion but its one of these things. I would rather we got through and I was suspended than we didn’t.”