Tuesday 25 August 2015 14:16, UK
Rob Kiernan insists Rangers have not had it easy this season, even though they are looking to win their seventh game in a row against Airdrie in the League Cup on Wednesday.
Mark Warburton's new-look side have scored 20 goals in six games, with their latest 1-0 triumph over Hibernian at the weekend maintaining their perfect start to the season.
And Kiernan, one of three summer signings who joined the club from Wigan alongside James Tavernier and Martyn Waghorn, has been ever-present in a defence which has conceded just four goals.
Their midweek trip to the Excelsior Stadium will see them looking to add to their winning start but the 24-year-old is expecting a tough encounter – just like their other opening games.
He said: "Not easy at all. It's obviously nice, but it's just a start and there is a lot more to come. It's been a good start but we're nowhere near where we want to be, nowhere near the finished article.
"The standard is a lot better than people say it is. Obviously teams will come and try to stop us playing, so that makes it difficult, but you have to find ways to do that.
"Each week we have a different game plan and that's something that we enjoy. It's a long season. We know what our objective is and we've hit the ground running so it's a positive start but that's all."
Kiernan is enjoying life in Glasgow and says he can continue to learn and improve at Ibrox.
"Personally I love it here," he said. "I think everyone who comes to the club loves it here. It's somewhere I think I can improve and hopefully I will.
"I think everyone wants to beat Rangers. The more I hear about it the more I see it's a cup final and everyone wants to have one over us but we can only do what we can do.
"I don't think there's any added pressure. I think in every game we're expected to turn up and win and that's our objective."
Rangers' attacking full-backs Lee Wallace and Tavernier have been particularly impressive in the opening stages of the season.
Kiernan knows how good his old Wigan team-mate is and believes skipper Wallace cannot be far away from a Scotland recall, despite missing out on Gordon Strachan's squad for next month's European Qualifiers against Georgia and Germany.
"I believe he's good enough," said the Republic of Ireland U21 cap. "I don't know too much about who is playing in front of him but from what I can see he is a quality left-back.
"He's someone I think could play at a higher level and he's someone who is well respected in our changing room."
Kiernan added: "He (Tavernier) plays such a big part for us going forward. The modern day full-backs are like that. If you look at the Premier League and most teams have full-backs that you think could play front three.
"That is the modern day full-back and I'm sure Tav will have a great career. He's obviously hit the ground running here and he's a good lad who works hard so he'll do well."