Wallace determined to make up for lost time as Rangers hunt Euro return

Lee Wallace gave up four years of European football when he joined Rangers' journey back to the top - now he is desperate to ensure another crack at the continent does not slip through his fingers.

The Ibrox skipper is the only remaining senior player at Ibrox who served the club before its liquidation meltdown in 2012.

While others darted for the door, Wallace and the likes of Lee McCulloch chose to remain loyal to Ally McCoist's side, staying on to help launch the Light Blues' recovery job.

But it took a year longer than planned for Rangers to reclaim their place in the top flight - and only after Mark Warburton was called in to pick up the pieces of last year's promotion flop.

Wallace paid a price, though, giving up his international prospects as well as the chance to compete on the European stage.

But the 28-year-old can book a return to the Europa League next month if his team beat Hibernian in the final of the William Hill Scottish Cup and he is determined not to spend another 12 months on the outside looking in.

Wallace - this week nominated for PFA Scotland's Championship player of the year award alongside team-mate Martyn Waghorn and Hibs duo Jason Cummings and John McGinn - said: "My debut for Rangers was against Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers. It was a poor result on the night, but I've had a small taste of it.

"However, I've given up four years of this. I don't want any more chances to slip by.

"As a club since the new manager came in, that has always been part of our goals. When he first came in, he mentioned that it had to be our aim as players to represent Rangers on European nights, hearing that Champions League music.

"Now we've got the carrot of Europa League next season. It's in our hands and we can go grab that opportunity on May 21. Hopefully next season we can put ourselves in a good position to get back to European football, because that is where we want to be playing, up against the world's best players.

"It's there for us to grab."

Wallace will hope to complete a trophy treble in his first season as captain when they face Alan Stubb's men at Hampden.

He will collect the second piece of silverware, following the Petrofac Training Cup success, after Saturday's Ibrox clash with Alloa as Gers are presented with the Championship trophy.

It was a moment he always expected to come his side's way, even if there were moments along the way where it seemed unlikely as off-field turmoil threatened to derail the club's recovery.

"I'd been through a lot of that with my previous club Hearts," said the left-back. "We'd get asked the same questions there about whether it affected us and it didn't. It was no different this time round.

"So there's never been a moment's regret for me whatsoever about staying with the club or questioning whether I could make a contribution to getting the club back to the top flight. It's always been thinking as positive as possible.

"It was the same last year in the play-off final at Fir Park. That was a horrible day off the back of two really bad games against Motherwell. But after going away in the summer, the appointment of the new manager was made and that gave us the hunger back right away.

"I wanted to go into training the next day and get to know him.

"This season has been a great story, but we recognise how we got here. There's been a process. We analyse everything, but now we're back in the top flight a whole new set of goals will be unleashed for the club moving forward.

"This is what Rangers do. They win top-flight medals, they compete in top European competitions and the squad we've got will be hungry to achieve that.

"Now we need to recognise the season we have had. We'll savour moments like Saturday not only for us, but for the fans who are more deserving than anyone.

No matter what trophy it is, whether it's the Petrofac or the Scottish Cup next month, they deserve these moments so it will be nice to make Saturday a really memorable day."