We don’t give Connor Goldson much if any love on Ibrox Noise, we’re well aware that our stance on Rangers’ vice-captain hasn’t been the most flattering, even if in the first season he did actually stand up to some scrutiny and had a strong 55 (like everyone else).

So in this piece, for a change, we’re going to give the bloke some support, especially given his staggering endurance to get to 300 appearances for the club in all-time record time, and to only have missed a handful of matches through suspension or injury.

He has his faults, there is no doubt whatsoever that even his most ardent backers acknowledge he’s not a spectacular defender, with the biggest case being that if he was as good as he probably thinks he is, he’d not be playing in the Scottish Premiership.

However, that doesn’t alter the fact that every single manager of Rangers since Steven Gerrard signed him have sworn by him, and that is a huge testament to his professionalism and fitness.

There’s no doubt Goldson’s availability is second only to James Tavernier’s, which, in itself, is superhuman.

Rangers have relied so much on Goldson being fit that, ill-advisedly, the club did not plan for his being injured v Liverpool, and also had the terrible fortune of not having either Filip Helander or John Souttar available.

All of these things left Rangers’ defence snookered.

But in the normal course of things, Goldson really does have staggering resilience and fitness levels, and clearly he takes ridiculous care of himself to sustain that.

There was also the run to Sevilla – it’s easy to forget now, that Connor Goldson was top of the entire tournament for clearances, 72 to the next man down, Braga’s Oliveira at 49. Of course some will point to ‘that’ clearance that he didn’t make but hey ho.

In simple terms, statistically, Goldson was among the very best defenders in that tournament, and in the air no one was better – he was the best in tournament for aerial duels won, 43.

Overall he was generally regarded as the most effective defender on that run, and a major reason Rangers got to the final. Sadly, maybe a major reason we didn’t win it.

So there’s no question his strength is aerial and clearances, and it appears another major one is leadership.

He’s not the quickest, not the most physical, and he doesn’t tackle at the rate of his partners, but he does shout, guide, point, and generally gets very vocal.

In simple terms, Clement clearly rates what he does off the ball as much as his work on it.

Is he David Weir, or Cuellar, or Gough?

No, no he falls a bit short of that level, but he’s consistent and he’s staggeringly fit, and he’s part of a Rangers that is winning.

Clement endorses him, that pretty much should be the only backing he needs.