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The midfielder got into a heated debate with pundit Michael Stewart on Monday night’s BBC Sportsound following comments made at the weekend and the subsequent Aberdeen v Rangers encounter.

Prior to the game Adam said the Ibrox side would put up a challenged to champions Celtic.

Charlie Adam thinks former team Rangers will mount a title challenge. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson

Stewart branded the Scotland international “shortsighted and disrespectful” after he dismissed Aberdeen and said that a lot of the comments about Rangers were “entitled”.

Adam stuck to his viewpoint having watched Rangers earn a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie having played the majority of the game with ten men after Alfredo Morelos was sent off.

“This is the best Rangers team since they’ve been in the Premier League in four years,” he said. “The quality is so much better, the intensity is better.

Celtic are the ones everyone has got to catch, everybody knows that. But if you look on paper Rangers were streets ahead of Aberdeen. If that’s a good Aberdeen side then Scottish football is struggling because they’ve got worse than they were last year.

“Rangers have been shocking for the last four years. This is the best Rangers team in four years.

“They’ve brought in two good centre-halves who have done really well so far, a goalkeeper who is going to win them points over the season, they’ve added good quality up front.

“Celtic are above Rangers at the moment and Rangers are above Aberdeen.

“I think there will be a title challenge. It will be closer than what people think.”

Charlie Adam: Rangers will mount title challenge to Celtic