Gers support seen much of me..now they will haven't see best of me

Ibrox midfielder Kieran confident of making his mark after a frustrating first season

- ANDY NEWPORT

KIERAN DOWELL is the first to admit the Ibrox support didn't see the best of him last season.

Mostly because they barely saw him at all.

The former Norwich playmaker was expected to be a central character as Michael Beale plotted a Rangers resurgence last summer.

Instead, he barely made it onto the supporting cast in Govan as a succession of injuries wrecked his first campaign in Glasgow.

In total, he made a grand total of just six starts and 10 substitute appearances during a season flavoured with frustration.

There were moments where it looked like he was set to make the kind of contribution Beale envisioned when he lured the former Everton trainee north from Carrow Road.

There was a Christmas Eve goal at Motherwell which proved to be the perfect gift as new boss Philippe Clement wrestled with a nightmare injury list.

His role off the bench in April's 3-3 Old Firm draw at Ibrox was crucial in turning that derby thriller around as he helped Gers fight back from two goals down.

But both occasions proved to be fleeting highlights amid a season which ended with the brutal lows of losing the league and Scottish Cup to Celtic.

Now Dowell is hoping to make a more lasting impression on the Rangers support as they gear up for the new campaign.

Speaking after yesterday's pre-season bounce game with Standard Liege, he said: "I'd like to think there is more to come from me. I didn't start many games last season. It was four or five games.