SOME are old, some are new, some are borrowed and some are blue. For Gary McAllister, Rangers now have a squad that are a perfect match.

There are players looking to make a name for themselves, and others who have already seen and done it all at Ibrox. Some may only be here for the short time, but many are signed up for the long haul.

There is a blend of youth and experience, a mixture of characters and personalities, and the most recent additions could prove to be amongst the most significant.

The deals for Jermain Defoe and Steven Davis may have pushed the average age of the Gers squad up a couple of notches but nobody at Ibrox is doubting their quality or questioning the impact they will have on and off the park.

At 36 and 34 respectively, Defoe and Davis have arrived from Bournemouth and Southampton with a wealth of experience in the Premier League behind them. Crucially, they – and the likes of fellow wise old heads Allan McGregor and Gareth McAuley - are focused on the future.

McAllister has heard all the questions asked and concerns raised before. Back in 2000, they were directed at him when he signed for Liverpool.

But the former Reds midfielder – who won five medals during his time at Anfield – knows the elder statesmen in the Ibrox dressing room will be invaluable assets for Steven Gerrard this term.

“You’re now looking down the spine of the team,” McAllister said. “Gareth McAuley has brought that experience and knowledge, high level Premier League in England, Steve Davis in the middle of the park and now Jermain at the top end.

“And we’ve got Allan McGregor in goal so right through that spine we’ve got guys who can help others around them in every department of the team.

“I was a player who went late to a big club so the age thing doesn’t worry me. It will be thrown at these players the same as it was with me.

“I remember fanzines and things saying ‘This guy’s been a decent player but why are we signing someone who is 35?’.

“But you go and grasp the moment and the facts are if you go to a club like Rangers or Liverpool then it represents a better chance of winning something and that’s still the big desire here.”

McAllister made the move from Coventry City to Liverpool having already scaled the heights of the game south of the border and having starred for club and country but the final years of his career were amongst his most memorable.

That is now the ambition for Defoe and Davis as they look to finish on a high and with silverware successes on their respective CVs. It is a challenge McAllister has no doubt they are prepared for.

He said: “Your lifestyle becomes very important but looking at the shape and body of Steve, Jermain and McAuley they look in fantastic condition.

“To get to that sort of level of conditioning at the age takes a lot of hard work. People might think at that age you pull them back and do less but I flipped it and wanted to show the manager I could still compete at the front end of the pre-season in the running and things.

“Everyone is different but when I look at the three outfield players of that age they are in supreme condition.

“It’s psychological. There’s no doubts about their ability but there always be a doubt at that age over whether they can compete physically.

“When you get yourself into as good a physicality as you can and show your team-mates and get that respect then the football and technical ability is never in doubt so we players can add a lot.”

When Gerrard was appointed boss in the summer, he wasted little time in transforming the Ibrox squad as players with the required quality and mentality arrived to replace those that had failed year after year and under the guidance of a handful of managers.

In Defoe and Davis, Rangers have signed two more that require no settling in period and will be able to hit the ground running at Ibrox.

McAllister said: “Steve Davis is a fantastic technician. He can link the back to the front with cleverness, he’s got an eye for a pass and he’s got a goal in him still.

“But the fact he’s been here and won is a big thing, similar to Allan McGregor who has been outstanding and vocal in the dressing room.

“I don’t know Steve that well but I’ll get to know if he’s a vocal type leader but as a player he always led by example and you need that at Ibrox - people who play with personality and character.

“The hunger is still there and that’s why they were so eager to come here. Steve knows the expectations and Jermain will be aware of it.

“It’s very demanding and a draw is a crisis. Every game has to be won and that’s a good pressure.

“These guys have a mindset that will guard against complacency. Having worked up here with BT Sport prior to coming to Rangers, for all the criticism Scottish football does take it is competitive.

“There’s no gimmees at any ground and these players will know that and told that by their team-mates and coaching staff. You can’t go into a game thinking you’ll just turn up and win.”

After ending the first half of the season with a win over Celtic that took them level on points with their Old Firm rivals at the top of the table, Rangers have ensured the feelgood factor has continued with the captures of Defoe and Davis.

The Light Blues squad spent last week at their training base in Tenerife as preparations for the title run-in and shot at the Scottish Cup were stepped up once again.

McAllister said: “We’ve reintroduced a bit of work back in the players’ legs after them having just shy of a week off so it’s nice and it’s a good environment.

“It’s a good place to welcome a couple of new signings back as well. Everyone is looking pretty good and sharp and the way the year ended was a massive plus psychologically for everyone at the club.

“To beat one of your biggest rivals in front of a great crowd at Ibrox was a big bonus and it’s difficult imagining sitting here if the result didn’t go that way but it went the right way.

“But it wasn’t just the result, the thing for me is the belief and the confidence the players must take from the performance.

“I thought from minute one right through the whole game they dominated and played well and that’s the sort of levels the gaffer is looking for so that was a big plus.”