ALLOA loan star Robbie Crawford is hoping his time at the Indodrill Stadium can help him force his way into Rangers manager Mark Warburton's plans.

The midfielder's contract at Ibrox runs out at the end of next season but he believes a successful spell with the Wasps can help him earn a new deal and ensure he returns to the Gers ready to compete for a first-team spot.

Crawford told Advertiser Sport: “I spoke to Jack Ross and Mark Warburton and had a good chat with both of them, and it seemed like the most logical thing to do. I have really enjoyed my time so far and hopefully I can kick on again. Alloa is the right place for me to do that and I am really excited to be staying on.

“Mark was honest with me and told me to go and learn as much as I can. He told me to prove that I am good enough to get in his team. It's good to have a clear goal and it means I can help Alloa out as well because they have been good to me this season.

“I put pressure on myself to play well each week but I prefer to focus on each game as it comes. I am just trying to see out the rest of my time at Alloa by playing as well as I can every week.”

The Wasps host Morton on Saturday anxious to start gaining ground on their relegation rivals, and Crawford says a win would give their survival hopes a huge boost.

He said: “It would be massive. It would be a huge weight off the shoulders of everybody at the club. It's always nice to play your own team so I am looking forward to that but we are just looking to put in a good performance.”

Crawford revealed he has been impressed with new manager Jack Ross and backed the former Falkirk and St Mirren defender to be a success in his first managerial post.

He added: “Obviously different managers will have different approaches. He's been really good with me personally and I think the rest of the boys have been impressed with the training. It's been of a really high quality and it is only going to benefit us. In the long run he has a huge amount of experience working with young players so I think it is a good appointment.”