Former Rangers defender Craig Moore has stressed the importance of the Hearts game for the Glasgow giants as it will test their ability to keep churning out results when being chased at the top of the league table.
Rangers have found themselves at the top of the league table after eight league games, two points clear of reigning Scottish Premiership champions and Glasgow rivals Celtic.
Steven Gerrard’s side are trying to end Celtic’s stranglehold on Scottish football by breaking their eight-season run of winning the league title.
Moore admits that Rangers have found themselves in an unfamiliar position at the top of the league table as not many of the modern Gers stars are aware of how it feels to be setting the pace in the title race.
He believes the focus at Rangers should be about taking one game at a time and believes the Hearts game is massive for Gerrard’s side as they will have to show that they can keep building on good form and continue to churn out results.
The former Rangers defender told The Athletic: “When you’re top of the league, you know you’re being chased. It’s not a position Rangers have been used to in recent years.
“The focus within a football club, as boring as it sounds, is that they will be taking it a game at a time.
“The important thing is that last year when they had that great result against Celtic they then huffed and puffed after the winter break.
“It’s a massive game against Hearts.
"It’s important that they focus on hitting the ground running again as it keeps things building and people then know there’s a real test coming and a belief that this is a team that doesn’t look like slipping up.
“Churning out results breeds confidence.”
Rangers won at Tynecastle last season and will be looking to earn three points against a Hearts side who have won just once in the league this term.
