Hegarty signs for Rangers

The defender, 19, has committed himself to the new regime by putting pen to paper on a 12-month deal. The Northern Ireland under-21 captain was a free agent after his previous contract with Rangers expired this summer but he will now remain at Ibrox.

Hegarty made his first team debut against Linfield in a friendly earlier this year but has yet to make a competitive appearance for the senior side and is determined to make an impact next term.

He told RangersTV: "It's massive for me. You grow up dreaming of these things and the dream's coming true for me but I have to make sure it stays that way.

"It's a big opportunity for me so I just have to knuckle down and show what I can do and hopefully next year I'll be in the same position.

"Obviously there has been a lot of uncertainty over the summer but I always said that I wanted to come back and play for Rangers. Hopefully I can help the club win whichever league we're in this season. It's time for us to step up and show the fans what we can do and hopefully show them value for their hard earned season ticket money."