SCOTT ARFIELD insists Rangers are fully focussed on securing Champions League group stage football after returning for pre-season.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst's side will have to navigate their way through two qualifiers to join Europe's elite, but they will be motivated with rivals Celtic already in the groups.
Arfield was part of the Rangers team who lost out to Malmo in the qualifiers last term and he admits that hurt is adding to his motivation.
Asked if reaching the Champions League was a priority, he told Rangers TV: “No doubt about it.
“We had a wonderful campaign getting to the Europa League final last season.
“But, the Malmo game still sticks out because it was a disappointment and a game we felt we could go and win.
“You see who they played in the next round and you feel as if you can knock them out as well.
“It was an opportunity missed and it was then about us trying to make up for those mistakes.
”We did so getting to the final but we have another chance to do it again and see if we can get into the Champions League.
“I was in a bar in the South of Spain watching the Champions League final thinking if we had won in Seville we would have been playing one of them (Liverpool or Real Madrid) in the Super Cup.
“It was an achievement getting there in itself, but we were one kick away from it being completely different.
“It was an amazing achievement for us to get there and it didn't happen in the end.
“That is football and we have had more than a few kicks up the backside but there will be more glory days.”
Losing the Europa League final on penalties was cruel finish to a stunning European campaign last term for Rangers, but just days later Van Bronckhorst's team regrouped to win the Scottish Cup.
On the highs of winning Scotland's top cup trophy at Hampden, Arfield added: “It was massive. It was a complete disappointment on the Wednesday night.
“But as much as it had been an amazing season it would have been a disaster if we hadn't won on Saturday.
“You need silverware when you are at this football club and we wanted to end the season with the result we wanted.
“Within an hour we were all focused on the Saturday game and it was amazing how quickly it came along.
“We obviously realised Hearts had a full week's preparation for that game and we had to fly back from Spain.
“I think we dealt with that as you would expect and to win the trophy was exactly what we wanted.”
