James Penrice makes ‘ridiculous’ Rangers revelation as he lifts lid on Ibrox squad

James Penrice has emerged as one of Rangers’ most encouraging summer additions after making an immediate impact following his arrival on loan from AEK Athens.

The left-back, who joined with an option to make the move permanent, was handed an opportunity early in the campaign after Tuur Rommens suffered an injury.

Penrice has taken advantage of his opportunity, impressing with his performances and making a strong case to retain his place even when the Belgian returns to contention.

However, competition for places is fierce throughout Derek McInnes’ squad, with the Scottish defender now revealing just how impressed he has been by the quality of his teammates.

James Penrice blown away by Rangers squad quality

McInnes has overseen significant recruitment at Ibrox, bringing in a host of new faces as Rangers look to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title.h bh

Penrice has been particularly struck by the standard of players available to the manager, believing the squad has the individual quality needed to compete across the pitch.

Speaking to the Daily Record, the defender admitted he had been impressed by what he had witnessed during his first few months at the club.

“Ultimately, we’ll never know (if we have the mentality to win a title) until we go and do it,” Penrice said.

“But we’re littered with talent. The talent in here is ridiculous. In every position, we have players who can go and make a Rangers jersey their own.

“And that’s what you need to drive standards. But at the same time, we need to go and win difficult games.”

Penrice’s comments underline the strength in depth that Rangers believe they have assembled, with competition for starting places expected to push standards higher at Auchenhowie.

The full-back has already enjoyed some memorable moments in a Rangers shirt, delivering impressive performances against Old Firm rivals Celtic in September.

However, he recognises that individual quality will only take the team so far unless the players can consistently deliver results when the pressure is on.

Could complacency undermine Rangers’ title ambitions?

While Rangers’ squad depth offers plenty of encouragement, their results against some of the league’s less fancied opponents have raised questions about their consistency.

McInnes’ side dropped points against Dundee United on the opening weekend before suffering a home defeat to Hibernian the following week.

More recently, Rangers were held to a 2-2 draw by Dundee at Dens Park, surrendering another opportunity to collect three points.

Those results have highlighted a potential weakness in their title challenge, particularly when Celtic have continued to collect victories with impressive regularity.

Rangers have demonstrated that they possess the talent to compete in high-profile encounters, but winning the Premiership requires the same determination against opponents further down the table.

Every league fixture carries the same three-point reward, meaning dropped points against struggling sides can prove just as costly as disappointing results against direct title rivals.

Penrice’s assessment of the squad will encourage Rangers supporters, but the challenge now is to turn that quality into consistent performances.

If McInnes can get his players to maintain their standards throughout the campaign, Rangers will have a stronger chance of sustaining a title challenge.

Ultimately, the depth of talent Penrice has identified must translate into results on the pitch if the club are to achieve their ambitions this season.