TWO numbers – 55 and 150 – have carried a unique, emotional significance for Rangers for some time. Both are cherished in their own right, but they resonate more strongly together.

As Rangers prepare to celebrate their 150th anniversary next year - and become the first major European club to reach such a landmark - they will do so with the league flag fluttering over Ibrox. Title 55 was simply the best, better than all the rest.

It would mark the culmination of ‘The Journey’, the end of a decade-long wait. All the fears and tears, the false dawns and the embarrassments were enveloped by a joy and relief.

Sport, like life, owes nobody anything. There is no support that deserved those moments more than Rangers fans, though, and the Premiership win was a reward for their loyalty through the most tumultuous period in their club’s history.

The achievement in a football sense was remarkable as Steven Gerrard’s side completed an unbeaten league campaign to finish 25 points clear of Celtic. Records were beaten as new benchmarks for points won and goals conceded were set but even the black and white of the league table didn’t emphasise how superior Rangers were in every sense.

Title 55 was more than sporting achievement, though. It’s meaning was deeper, more personal, because of the trials and tribulations that Rangers – as a club and a support and latterly as a staff and squad – had overcome to get to that point.

That destination must now be a line in the sand. The success and celebrations of last season will never be forgotten, but they cannot define the future for Rangers as Gerrard and his players target further glories going forward.

Their first league crown together cannot be surpassed, but it must be added to, and the coming months provide Rangers with the chance to really assert their supremacy over a Celtic side in a state of flux and period of transition.

That was the situation that Rangers found themselves in for several years but the champions are now able to build on solid foundations.

Both on and off the park, they are in a position of strength in Scotland as they attempt to enhance their standing on the continent.

A 56th title win this term would prove that Gerrard’s side are no one season wonders in the Premiership. More medals must be added, though, and the League Cup and Scottish Cup should be demanded after six failed attempts under Gerrard’s guidance.

The closing weeks of the transfer window will determine how many of those 55 heroes are still part of Gerrard’s plans for the defence of their crown but even one or two high-profile departures – with Glen Kamara and Alfredo Morelos the most likely to leave – wouldn’t be a disaster for Rangers this term.

The additions of John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala have perhaps pre-empted that situation and both have impressed during their summer outings. Scott Wright, who arrived from Aberdeen in January, has also made an encouraging start to the campaign.

There is strength and depth in every area of Gerrard’s squad. Should he choose to go back into the transfer market, it would surely only be to replace anyone that left rather than out of a necessity to bolster a particular area of the team.

With a full season at Ibrox under their belts, more can be expected from the likes of Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe, while captain James Tavernier is unburdened having finally earned the medal that had seemed so far away at many stages of his Rangers career.

In Connor Goldson, Borna Barisic and Ryan Kent, Gerrard has players who are performing at the peak of their powers to date and the deals that were signed with Allan McGregor and Steven Davis in the closing weeks of the campaign will be shrewd and important bits of business. The squad is older, wiser and ready to win once again.

The Premiership cannot be the only target in that regard. A meeting with Malmo will be the first step in determining Rangers’ Champions League aspirations and there is no reason why Gerrard’s side can’t improve and impress at a higher level on the continent having re-established their credentials and reputation over the last three seasons.

Rangers have shown – both in terms of their style of play and their character – that they can be a force to be reckoned with at Europa League level and that mentality must now come to the fore in the domestic cup competitions as well.

The defeats to St Mirren and St Johnstone were the black marks on Rangers’ record last term and those cup exits were costly. The season will always be remembered, but it should have been even better.

The mantra of one game at a time will no doubt permeate the campaign at Ibrox once again as Rangers go for 56. The fixtures will be ticked off, and the trophies should be collected.

Manager: Steven Gerrard

Captain: James Tavernier

Key player: Ryan Kent rebuffed interest from Leeds United last summer to play his part in a remarkable campaign and Rangers may well be tested by an unwanted offer before the close of business this term. Of all the assets in the Ibrox squad, Kent is the one that could command the highest fee but the Englishman still has unfinished business as Gerrard’s side look to defend their title and make an impact in the Champions League. At 24, Kent’s best years are ahead of him and this season should be his finest yet at Ibrox.

In: Nnamdi Ofoborh (Bournemouth), Fashion Sakala (KV Oostende), John Lundstram (Sheffield United)

Out: Jamie Barjonas (Kelty Hearts), Greg Stewart (free), Bongani Zungu (loan ends), George Edmundson (Ipswich Town)

Last season: Historic. A 55th Premiership title was delivered in emphatic fashion as Rangers were crowned champions for the first time in a decade. An unbeaten campaign saw them finish 25 points clear of Old Firm rivals Celtic as Rangers dominated in the top flight. Gerrard’s side failed in the domestic cup competitions but impressed in the Europa League once again as they reached the last 16.

Odds: 4/9