Jamie Murphy is certain he’ll be a Rangers player permanently next season

JAMIE MURPHY is certain he’ll be at Rangers next season – and he couldn’t be more pleased.

The winger arrived at Ibrox from Brighton on a loan deal until the end of the season, with the promise of a permanent transfer this summer.

Murphy can’t officially announce that he’ll be at Rangers for the next few campaigns, but he’s sure that’s the case.

He said: “I absolutely expect to be here next season. I’m already a Rangers player in my mind.

“I’m loving it here.

“At Sheffield United, I played every week and loved it.

“In my first season with Brighton, I played most weeks, but that didn’t happen this season and it gets frustrating.

“I love playing football. I don’t come in to work at training to sit and watch the game, which was what was happening.

“To come here, play every week, get goals and be involved in front of big crowds has been great.”

Brighton were up against Manchester United in the FA Cup last night, but there was no danger of Murphy feeling he was missing out on anything with his parent club.

He said: “The boys at Brighton are doing well and, touch wood, they should stay up.

“But playing against Celtic for Rangers is a bigger match for me than facing Manchester United – it’s not in question. Playing Kilmarnock for Rangers is a bigger game!”

Taking part in his first Old Firm match last Sunday was a bitter-sweet experience for Murphy.

To line up in a Glasgow derby for his boyhood idols was a dream come true. However, losing 3-2 was something that pained him greatly.

He went on: “We lost. It’s not what we wanted but we’ve got to learn from it and move on, especially as we play them twice more this season.

“I remember as a fan getting nervous watching these games. To play in it was much easier.”

The 28-year-old is determined to emulate his Rangers heroes of the past.

He said: “You want to be remembered. There are photographs at the training ground of winning teams.

“You want to be in one of those photos that people remember.

“The nine-in-a-row team were my heroes growing up. We want to be the new generation of winners.”

One honour that could come Murphy’s way this week is a Scotland cap.

He’s in Alex McLeish’s squad to face Costa Rica and Hungary.

He said: “I think I’ve done a lot in my career, but trying to get a cap has always driven me on.

“I don’t know where I would have gone in my career if I’d got a cap when I was still only 21 or 22.

“It’s something that has pushed me on – and is still pushing me on.”