Steven Davis on Rangers' potential turning point and the character of Clement's side

The true meaning of the victory and the importance of the points will only become evident in the fullness of time. It may not prove to be the turning point but the victory over St Mirren back in October carries its own resonance for Steven Davis. Six months on, Rangers return to Paisley for a third time for another must-win fixture.

The first proved to be a last for Davis. He had overseen the defeat to Aris Limassol on his debut in the dugout before leading Rangers on league duty for the only time as an under-fire squad attempted to salvage their season and restore their reputation. Within days, Philippe Clement had been appointed as manager and the transition from the Michael Beale era had been completed. Rangers have not looked back since.

Two goals from James Tavernier bookended an Abdallah Sima strike to, remarkably, move Rangers above Stephen Robinson’s side in the standings. Clement inherited a side that were seven points adrift of Celtic and has turned hopeless challengers into potential champions. If that ambition is to be achieved, another win in Paisley is non-negotiable.

“It was an important game for the boys, we were going into the international break and off the back of that defeat in Cyprus,” Davis said. “We needed to get back to winning ways. St Mirren were doing really well at that stage, you know the way Robbo sets them up it was always going to be a difficult game. But the boys handled it well. Performance wise we could have been better, but that day it was all about the result and starting to build those little blocks.

“I don’t look at it from a personal point of view, it was mainly for the boys getting that result going into that break. Confidence was low, it had been hit. You saw that with the performance in Cyprus. It was important, as a group, that we tried to turn that around as quickly as possible.

“In any season you happen to have success, titles are sometimes won and lost with small margins. You do look back when you have success, or even when you don’t, and look at games where you think, ‘that was a little bit of a turning point for us’.

“I don’t know if that’s the case for that specific day, but you need to win games even when you’re not at your best. You are not going to be at your best every week, but in my first spell here with Walter I think that’s something we managed to do really well. We didn’t always have the best performance, but we always managed to find a way to win. Obviously the new manager has done that.”

Davis did not know what the future held once the final whistle had blown at St Mirren Park. He soon stepped back from a role within Clement’s staff to focus on his rehabilitation from knee surgery in an attempt to pull on his boots once again. In January, he retired from playing as a distinguished and glittering career for club and country came to a premature end.

The time in charge of Rangers was a privilege as he answered a call of duty. As much as they were pleased with the three points, supporters cherished that afternoon for what it meant for Davis, one of their own and a man who had been in an unenviable position during a time of strife at Ibrox. The dream would be for the Northern Irishman to return to the club for another stint on the sidelines but Davis is still taking small steps on his next journey in the game.

“It feels like a different season to be honest,” Davis said. “Obviously I started with the intention of getting back playing. It didn’t pan out the way I wished, but I’m 39 now and I have to appreciate everything that comes with that too.

“Then the interim manager thing came out of the blue. Those few weeks were a whirlwind, it seems like a different life. It was a great experience for me to get the opportunity to do that. After I made the decision to stop playing it felt like a weight off my shoulders because I was always pushing and when it wasn’t going in the right direction I got disappointed.

“It was probably the biggest learning experience of my life. As you get older you start to think what the next chapter might look like. Coaching and management is certainly something that interests me, but up until that point I hadn’t really done any coaching, I didn’t have my qualifications. Everybody was on the same page with me going in there at that time and what was being asked. They put a staff around me to help me and the boys.

“With the Limassol game, with the travelling we had, the training time we had on the pitch was very limited. After that we went straight into St Mirren, it was a whirlwind but a great experience for me. It certainly whets the appetite.”

For now, Davis will watch on from afar as those that he has played with and coached bid to follow in his footsteps as a champion. Over the next six fixtures, Clement’s squad have the chance to become history makers and treble winners and complete a turnaround that few believed possible when the Belgian was appointed at Ibrox.

Davis acknowledges that Rangers did not lift enough silverware during his second spell in blue but he believes - with those failures acting as added motivation for some - that the group have the character to emerge victorious this term. Questions over bottle are always prevalent at a club like Rangers and those that step over the white line owe it to their manager and their supporters to deliver at the business end of the season.

“I think first and foremost you want to prove it yourself,” Davis said. “There is a lot of external noise and questions being asked. There is so much pressure playing for the club and that’s why you either love it or you don’t. You have to buy into that.

“A lot of players in that dressing room have shown over the years they can handle the pressure. But there are still questions asked of you every season. If it hasn’t gone for you the season before you are under pressure to get it right the following year.

“That’s the nature of the beast and that’s never going to change. But that’s why you love being here. The boys have the first trophy of the season in the bag and the league is very tight.”