Danilo bags unique Rangers hat-trick as Kieran Dowell dazzles to prove Martin claim is bang on the money
A new manager always brings fresh hope for players who struggled to impress under the previous regime.
And that is the case at Rangers this summer with not only a new boss in Russell Martin but a new era at the club under the 49ers ownership.
It's a clean slate under Martin and while it can always be dangerous to read too much into pre-season, the early signs have been good for at least a couple of players.
Much of the Ibrox side's work this summer has been done away from the eyes of the public with only one friendly so far against Club Brugge offering a glimpse of life under Martin.
It was a game of two halves as the Light Blues recovered from going a couple of goals down against the Belgians to salvage a draw thanks to goals from Mohamed Diomande and Finlday Curtis.
Apart from that, it's been closed door games - a 1-0 defeat to Welsh minnows The New Saints and a draw against Barnsley at their St George's Park training camp.
Danilo was the man on target against the Tykes and the Brazilian shone on the latest runout as Martin built up to that huge Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos.
The 26-year-old former Feyenoord man's time at Ibrox has ben plagued by injuries but impressed yet again as Neil Lennon took his Dunfermline side to the Rangers Training Centre for a bounce game.
Danilo was on the scoresheet again and assisted three times for Nico Raskin, Kieran Dowell and new boy Thelo Aasgaard.
With the futures of both Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane both in doubt and sitting out pre-season so far, a fit-again and firing Danilo could be the man who Martin pins his hopes on for Champions League progress.
Danilo's talent hasn't been doubted by Rangers fans, it's his injury record which has left them with questions.
However, the same probably can't be said of Dowell and it would be a major turnaround if he was to be handed a key role under Martin.
The midfielder was previously out of favour and shipped out on loan to Birmingham last season, with a permanent move expected this summer.
Martin has named the former Everton and Norwich City man in his 'senior' group alongside captain James Tavernier, John Souttar and Jack Butland.
Dowell was a standout at St Andrews last season and Michael Beale spoke highly of the player when he landed him on a free two summers ago.
He said: "I watched him come through at Everton, playing for all the England age groups. Played 15 or 16 times for England under-21s.
"He's played in the Premier League for Norwich, who have had a few changes of coach in his time there. He comes in as a player that knows three or four in our dressing room that he's played with. He's a player I like a lot.'
But he made just 17 appearances in his first season, with Beale axed early on and then he moved to the Midlands last January. Still only 27, could Dowell now prove his worth at Rangers?
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