Ibrox will not hold any fears for evergreen Dundee United defender Darren Dods tomorrow when the teams meet in a Scottish Cup quarter-final.
The veteran centre half was part of the United defence cruelly exposed in the painful 7-1 demolition by Rangers in December.
He has played the role of understudy to Andy Webster for long spells this season but with the on-loan Scotland international unavailable against his parent club, Dods will be asked to step back into the firing line tomorrow.
Manager Peter Houston has no doubts about the former Caley Thistle player and he believes the 34-year-old’s experience will be invaluable to United’s players.
He said: “Darren Dods will come back into the team and I don’t think having to change the defence is a big issue.
“The big man has been a stalwart since he came here and he’s a role model for a lot of the players.
“He’s played at a very good level, spending years in the SPL and experienced Europe and cup finals with St Johnstone.
“He’s also a Scotland B international.”
Houston added: “Darren has been there, done it and seen it, so going to Ibrox won’t be a problem for him.
“I tell the younger players here to look at him and the way he goes about things because it’s brilliant.
Treble-chasing Rangers may carry the burden of being heavy favourites but Houston said the United players are desperate to reach the final.
He said: “There is pressure on both teams because there’s a cup semi-final to play for.
“Rangers are going for a treble, so they know what it means to them but it means just as much to our players.”
Defender Paul Dixon, while making rapid progress in his recovery from an ankle injury, is ruled out of tomorrow’s game.
Houston added: “Dixon is making great progress but he won’t be available for Ibrox.
“But he’s coming along really well, as he always seems to do, so, hopefully, that will continue into next week.”