Sheyi Ojo decided Rangers are the best team in Scotland even before he’d signed

Sheyi Ojo is adamant that Rangers are the best team in Scotland.

The on-loan Liverpool winger came to that conclusion when he started watching SPFL Premiership matches at the end of last season.

Nothing he’s seen since joining up with Steven Gerrard’s squad has changed his mind.

Ojo had clearly been tipped off that Rangers were keen to take him from Anfield, and that prompted him to do some research on Scottish football.

He said: “Towards the end of last season, I was watching some of the games.

“I think Rangers are the best team in the league.

“It’s one of the reasons why I came here.

“It is just about us proving we are the best team and doing really well this season.

“I think the difference at the top of the table last season was nine points. It proved we’re pretty close to Celtic.

“It’s just about concentrating on ourselves, and then we’ll be able to make up those fine margins.

“I want to be part of a winning team and I think Rangers, this season, can be that.

“All the new players are focused on the new system the gaffer wants, and we’re taking it game by game.

“So far it’s going really well. We’ve only conceded one goal in pre-season and we look forward to the upcoming games.”

Ojo hopes that performing well with Rangers and helping them win honours will boost his chances of having a long-term future at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp.

Achieving that aim would go a long way to repaying the sacrifices made by his two biggest fans.

The 22-year-old’s parents, Natasha and Olu, were in the Ibrox stands last Thursday night to watch their boy hit the net in the 2-0 victory over Progres Niederkorn in the Europa League qualifier.

They are a couple who made a massive change in their life to help their son’s ambition of becoming a top professional footballer.

He said: “It was their first time at a Rangers game. You could tell by my reaction to the goal that I was happy they were able to see that.

“The biggest sacrifice they made was probably moving to Liverpool when I was 14. I was living in London at the time, and all my family moved up to Liverpool to start my career. I had to drop out of school.

“Since then, I have broken into the Liverpool team and here I am today. I owe a lot to my family.”

Not every player finds it easy to settle in Scotland.

Ovie Ejaria came from Liverpool to Ibrox last season and never looked completely comfortable at the club.

He asked to cut his loan short and then joined Reading for six months.

Ojo maintains he was instantly sold on life with Rangers.

He went on: “I had that feeling from pre-season training in Portugal. I felt it was the right decision then and, now we’ve had games, I’m feeling fitter and stronger.

“I’m really enjoying my football.

“I thrive on expectation. That is one of the main things that I wanted this season – to have that expectation from the fans, the players, all the staff.

“When I first spoke to the gaffer about coming here, he said the support is amazing.

“That was shown on Thursday night. It was an early-round game in the Europa League and there were so many fans there.

“It was amazing to be a part of that.

“Coming here has shown me just how big Rangers are as a club.

“Being in the Europa League is an added bonus for me. It is a win-win for everyone.”

These are still early days for the player at Rangers.

Ojo has previously played eight times for the Liverpool first-team and had loan spells with Wigan, Wolves, Fulham and Reims of France.

Injury problems, including a fractured back and a dislocated shoulder, meant he had mixed success at those clubs.

As a member of England’s Under-20 World Cup-winning squad, and one of the brightest prospects to emerge from Liverpool’s Academy, much was expected from him.

Ojo hopes to finally show his quality on a consistent basis at Rangers.

He said: “I spoke to Liverpool before I came, and they have high expectations of me.

“It’s about me staying fit. In the last couple of seasons, I haven’t been able to do that.

“I want to stay fit and healthy to express myself. If I can do that, then I think everyone will see how good I can be.”