IT’S been a non-stop year for Glen Kamara and Nathan Patterson.

The Rangers duo returned to pre-season training last week after playing in the Euros over the summer.

And, despite a shortened break, the pair are desperate to get back to competitive action and are targeting another European run – but this time in the Champions League.

Rangers have consistently impressed under Steven Gerrard in the Europa League, but now take the step up as they aim to reach the group stage of Europe’s elite club competition.

Malmo FF or HJK Helsinki will be the first test for Gerrard’s side, who will be aiming to navigate the third qualifying round and play-off to secure a lucrative group stage place.

Kamara, a key player for Rangers both domestically and in Europe, is hoping to take inspiration from Europa League runs and take fans on another European adventure.

He told Rangers TV: “We are all looking forward to it and hopefully we can get in there and really show our worth.

“We’ve had some good Europa League rounds and hopefully we can have good Champions League rounds as well.

“You do so well last season, you want to build on it and show everyone you can stay there and be consistent.”

And Patterson, 19, who burst onto the scene for club and country last season, is expecting a tough route to the groups, but remains confident in the ability in the Ibrox dressing room.

“Just really looking forward to it to be honest”, he said. “Another two good sides but I think we’ve got a great team and we can hopefully go on and do really well in the competition.”

After a summer dedicated to national duty at the delayed Euro 2020 finals, both Kamara and Patterson have shifted their focus completely to club football once again.

But both players expect the experience of playing on a major stage to improve their performances for their club.

Kamara was a mainstay in the Finland team for the tournament, playing all three matches of their group stage before dropping out the competition.

The 25-year-old, who has been linked with a Premier League move, beamed: “Great experience, played in my first major tournament and Finland’s first major tournament as well, hopefully we can build on it.

“It’s always great to represent your country and put on the shirt and play the games. It was three tough games, but all in all it was a good experience.”

For Patterson, the tournament was just reward for a superb season. He picked up just his second cap for the national team in the final group match against Croatia but was thrilled to be involved in Scotland’s return to a major finals since 1998.

“It was brilliant to be a part of it”, he said. Asked if he was given any advice by Rangers staff or team-mates ahead of the tournament, he replied: “Just do the same as I do with my club; take it in my stride, play with no fear and go and enjoy myself and be confident and I felt as if I done that.

“Scotland has not been fighting for top competitions in recent years, it’s good to be back and you can see what it means to the fans.

“You try and repay them with some good results and I thought we worked hard, we didn’t obviously get there in the end but we gave them some good games to watch.”

While it’s clear both players relished the chance to represent their countries in the major finals, Kamara’s experience was a challenging one after watching Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen collapse on the pitch and requiring urgent medical attention.

The Inter Milan playmaker fell to the ground and received CPR before recovering in hospital from a cardiac arrest.

And after a break, both Denmark and Finland agreed to play the rest of the match. Recalling the horrific moment, Kamara said: “I know probably most of the boys didn’t want to play on.

“It was a tough one to come back out and I praise everyone who came back out. We are really happy he is okay. You never want to see stuff like that happen on the pitch. It was a hard one to tale but credit to everyone who came out and played on.”