The steps have all been in the right direction for Rangers and the first marker post has been reached successfully. Now it is time to stride forward once again and continue on the journey towards the ultimate destination this term.

Victory over Aberdeen in the League Cup final has reaffirmed the belief and consolidated the progress. Just weeks after his arrival at Ibrox, Philippe Clement has achieved what his predecessor looked incapable of and the silverware rests in the Trophy Room for the first time in a long time.

The shine will be taken off it, though, if it proves to be the only one there come the end of the campaign. Winning one medal is all fine and well, but the demand and the ambition is for sustained success and that is only achieved when the mentality matches the quality.

Clement will not be content with one this season, and neither must his players after Rangers followed up their Europa League win over Real Betis with a Hampden triumph. That is certainly the approach that Rabbi Matondo will employ as attentions turn to the visit of St Johnstone and the return to the Premiership title race.

“It’s step by step,” Matondo said. “We did well in Europe, we got the result we’ve been working hard for on Sunday and got a trophy. We all hope it’s the first of many, but we need to continue to graft hard. Having won, you want to keep winning. 

“We all love this feeling, we all enjoyed the feeling of lifting the trophy on Sunday. Since I’ve been here it hasn’t quite gone our way so I hope Sunday is the first of many. Hopefully we can have many moments like this.

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“You enjoy the moment, you have to enjoy the moment. But at the same time if you want to win many more trophies, if you want to get to where we want to get to then we have to look towards the game on Wednesday. Every game is important. Tomorrow is a new day, the next game is a new challenge.

“We were able to switch our focus after winning in Spain last week. We could enjoy Sunday and not be focused for Wednesday, but that’s not going to happen.

“That’s not the way the manager wants us to be because Wednesday is an important game in the context of where we want to get to as a team. It’s a big game and we’ll prepare right.”

Clement got caught up in the scenes of celebration on Sunday as he took the acclaim of the support at Hampden and Ibrox. It was a taster of what could come should the dreams become reality this term.

The arrival of the Belgian has been transformative for Rangers, both on and off the park. A squad that looked bereft of confidence now have the mindset that they can achieve what they set out to when Michael Beale brought them together in the summer.

It is Clement that has got the best out of them in recent weeks. Individually and collectively, Rangers are now very much on the right track. Their journey could well end in style.

“It was amazing, that’s what we have been working towards for a very long time,” Matondo said after James Tavernier netted the only goal to see off Aberdeen on Sunday. “In fact, since I came here. The manager has come in and he’s done an incredible job.

“It’s been a weird start to the season, but these big prizes are what you play football for. It’s a good feeling at the moment.

“We just focused on ourselves, we know what we’re capable of and what we can bring. Individually and collectively we always believed in ourselves.

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“Ultimately we have done that. There is obviously a long way to go in the season but it’s a nice trophy to get. Hopefully we can kick on. We always had that belief in each other.

“Since the gaffer came in, he’s implemented that within us. It was a weird old start to the season and the manager has done an unbelievable job to bring us together.

“It has allowed us to flourish on the pitch because we are working so hard for each other. There are no individuals, it’s a collective. You’ve seen that in the last few games, with the injuries we had in Spain and everyone working so hard on Sunday.

“That’s what the manager wants. He has brought that team spirit so we’re not playing as individuals. We are playing as a team, that’s what it took on Sunday.”