Rabbi Matondo has been speaking ahead of Rangers’ Europa League opener with Real Betis at Ibrox on Thursday evening.

Here is everything he had to say.

Do you feel that you’re up and running now?

I guess so. It has also been a good time for me. It is always good to get game time. We have real strength and quality in the team so you have to take your opportunity when you get it. So I guess I have done that, especially in the last game.

Do you feel you can play a bigger part this year?

It is down to me to contribute when the gaffer puts me on the pitch. Whether it is coming off the bench or starting the game, I need to show my qualities and hopefully that will be enough for me to get more game time.

How much are you looking forward to these Europa League nights?

100 percent. Watching it from afar when the lads did it before, on the run they went on, and the special nights at Ibrox they had in Europe, I am very excited for tomorrow.

READ MORE: Michael Beale details Rangers injury woes and previews Europa campaign

What was it like to score against PSV?

It was a beautiful moment, one I will never forget and it is one that sticks with me forever because of how long it was before I scored and how I did it in that kind of game. I was buzzing with it and I always will be.

Was it a moment you felt you had been waiting for for a long time?

100 percent. It was a while since I scored and last season wasn't my best season and I just wanted to try to make things as good as possible and to score in Europe in front of the fans at Ibrox was why I came to the club, to create these moments and to score that was a nice moment.

Does it feel like you have a point to prove this season?

For me, I always know what I want to do and what I need to improve on. It was important that I came back for pre-season fit and ready to give my all and then hopefully giving my all would be enough to get opportunities in a new season. Ultimately people are always going to have their opinion and there’s always going to be noise from the outside. That doesn’t matter, that’s football. At the end of the day, as long as I know I’m giving my all and what the gaffer wants from me, that’s all I can do.

Do you need a lot more moments like the goal against PSV to keep your place in the team?

That’s the aim. As an attacker, you want to contribute with assists and goals every game if you can. I know I’m going to have to assist more, score more and add a lot more to my game if I’m to keep the shirt and play more regularly because we do have good depth in the squad.

Did you enjoy scoring against St Johnstone, especially with the assist from your fellow Welshman Tom Lawrence?

It was a nice moment because it was my first league goal and it was Tom’s first start in a very long time after coming back from injury. I was happy for myself to score and even happier for Tom to get his assist because of what he’s been thrown. It was a nice moment for both of us.

How important is it that you win the group?

Playing for a club like Rangers, we want to win every game, so it doesn’t matter [what the competition is], we just want to win. We will give our all against Betis at Ibrox in front of our fans to try to win the game. That’s all we can do.

Is the dream to be involved in a run like Rangers were on to Seville?

100 percent. Watching from the outside I was getting goosebumps and I didn’t even know half of them at that time, so you can only imagine being involved in it yourself. I don’t know how I’d feel. Of course, playing for big clubs, you want to be involved in the biggest competitions and the Europa is one of them. Ultimately, we want to give our all, push and see where we can go.

Is the aim to make Ibrox a fortress in Europe again?

I think for the boys who were involved in that run, it is going to motivate them and push them because they know what it was like. I don’t know what it was like to get to that stage in Europe. But ultimately it is game by game. We have to look at the game in front of us, which is Betis tomorrow. We know they are a good side so we have to try and beat them first. Ultimately, we are always going to play every game to win, so we will just see where can go from there.

Have the boys spoken to you much about the Europa League memories and the run to Seville?

I’d say it was more when I first joined the club and was asking them about it. Obviously, they didn’t win the final which was disappointing but it was still a great achievement with how far they got. And I like to ask questions as I was curious about it when I first joined. I’d say it's more me asking them than them talking about it.

Do you think that run put the club and Scottish football on the map?

You can say that is a way but everyone around the world knows how big Rangers is as a club. So I feel like I’ve always known what is going on in Scottish football, with Rangers I guess.

Did the achievements of that team factor in your decision to come here?

Rangers is a big club in itself. Regardless of whether they got to the Europa League final or not, they would always be a high interest of mine to join the club. Obviously, it helps when they are in a Europa League final. That’s just normal. But at the same time, Rangers is a big club so I didn’t need too much convincing to join.

Was it nice to hear your song from the fans at the weekend?

It is nice, of course. Always nice for people to appreciate you and appreciate the work you are doing because it hasn’t been an easy ride for me. I believe in myself, I know what is to come, I know I can improve on and it’s down to me proving it on the pitch, and continuing to make the fans happy.