Rangers return to 11-goal venue with no margin for error as dedicated player opens up on 'devastating' moment

Rangers took a step forward by defeating Aberdeen on Sunday but everyone inside Ibrox is acutely aware that the first three points of the Premiership campaign must be followed up on Wednesday against Falkirk.

Already five points behind leaders Celtic in the standings after three matches, dropping further behind - especially with an Old Firm league match coming up later this month - is not an option. Rangers restored some positivity at the weekend following their embarrassing exit from Europe to Jablonec, but the situation is precarious.

The Falkirk Stadium has been a happy hunting ground for Rangers recently. They scored 11 goals on the synthetic pitch in their two visits there in 2026 - although Youssef Chermiti, the man who scored five of them, is out for the long-term with a knee injury. It will most likely fall on captain Lawrence Shankland to lead the line again, although he is set to backed up by Kevin Kelsy, a new signing from Portland Timbers.

Cammy Devlin was part of the Rangers team that won at Aberdeen. | SNS Group

Falkirk have started the season poorly amid a rebuild under John McGlynn and this is fertile ground for Rangers to string together two league wins and build up some momentum.

Midfielder Cammy Devlin, who was part of the Hearts team that sustained a title challenge right until the last day of the 2025/26 campaign, knows how vital it is to keep the foot to the floor. He was restored to the starting XI against Aberdeen and added some bite to the team. He is set to be called upon once again, partly down to the strong mindset and combativeness he brings to the team.

“You know, we're playing for Rangers Football Club,” said Devlin. “It's a privilege for all of us to be here, an honour to represent such a massive football club. And you've really got to wear that. I think in the tough moments, if you go in your shell, things like Thursday, you can't allow that to happen. Obviously, losing games of football is part of the job, but it's tough. It is really tough because you're a human being, but you've been given the responsibility of representing this football club, worked so hard to get here, and now it's about showing what we're all about, showing how good a team we are. There's so many good players. We've got to stick together.

“We've come together, had good conversations, spent some time together. Everyone's so desperate to do well. There's a lot of new players that have come in the building, a new manager, and everyone is so, so desperate to do well for this football club and bring success to this football club. It's something that is the responsibility when you play for Rangers, something that the fans are so desperate for, we all are. We look on to Wednesday - that's another tough game away from home. Falkirk, another good manager, another good team.”

Devlin on his red card

Devlin had to show his own strength of character after being sent off in the first leg against Jablonec at Ibrox. Rangers were 1-0 up at the time, but the Australian’s dismissal stopped the hosts in their tracks and they weren’t able to build upon the lead. Suspended for the second leg, the 28-year-old had to watch on aghast as their Conference League hopes went up in smoke.

Asked about the red card, Devlin’s response was telling. “Absolutely devastated,” he said. “You guys have seen me play for long enough now, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I just work as hard as I can every single day to be the best version of myself, the best player, the best team-mate. I've been brought to Rangers, something I'm so grateful for, and I'm just doing everything in my power to do well myself, but also just help as little part as I can to bring success to what is such a good team, with such good players.

“And for that to happen, especially the way it happened ... I know the still of it makes it look a lot worse. So upset for that to happen, I'm just so desperate to do well. And like I say, I've said before, the only way I've ever known in my whole life is the only reason I'm sitting in this position today is because of hard work. I've been brought up that way. I'll continue to do that.

“You've got to show resilience in the tough moments. That was another one for me. Really tough individual moment, feeling like, you know ... I hate letting my team down, and I feel like that was maybe something I'd done there. I just want to do as well as I can.”

Devlin also wants to succeed for his manager, Derek McInnes, who he worked with at Hearts last term and won’t be in the dugout due to suspension. “The gaffer's so desperate to do well, I think he's spoken about that in all his interviews,” added the Socceroo. “Everyone knows how much this club means to him, since he was a player, since probably he was a young guy. It means so much to so many people. And we just want to be a reflection of him in our performances, in the way we treat every day, representing such a special football club.

“It's not something you can take lightly. And, you know, the criticism is ... we got knocked out of Europe and we play for Rangers, so as much as it's deserved in it, because it wasn't good enough. But, like I say, that was on Thursday. You got another game 48 hours later, and you've just got to move on. You've got to put it behind you as hard as it is and represent this football club as well as you can. We did that at Aberdeen, and as disappointing as that was, we can only look forward. That's the only way we can do that. We've got another game on Wednesday. And criticism's part of playing for Rangers, but it's how you react to that, and that was important to the players.”

It is why three points on Wednesday is vital, to stem the criticism and to show credentials of a team able to challenge for honours.