Rangers were hailed for their Glasgow charity work as UK Government ministers celebrated 150 years of the Govan "institution".

The club celebrated the milestone this year with a number of special events to mark the occasion, in a season which saw Gio van Bronckhorst's side go all the way to the Europa League final.

This week the UK Government held a celebratory reception at the Scotland Office to toast the 150 years.

And it's not just success on the pitch that had the great and the good turning out, with levelling up secretary Michael Gove putting aside his Aberdeen allegiances to praise Rangers for their community work.

He said: "Rangers is an institution. You can’t understand Scotland, you can’t understand football, without appreciating the role Rangers has played over so many decades.

“It’s not just the case that Rangers have brought joy to their supporters over so many years, Rangers is rooted in its community.

“The charitable work that Rangers Football Club does is celebrated by all of us across Government, and the fact there are folk from lots of different political parties and none is a reflection of our admiration for what Rangers and its supporters have done over the years.

“The spirit that Rangers embodies is something we all want to celebrate."

Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack also looked to underline the importance of the club to the community it has called home for 150 years.

He explained: "It’s just a real honour to welcome Rangers on their 150th anniversary.

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“I remember the £150k of support from the UK Government for the charitable efforts, the integration with the community in Govan, all the support that’s given.

“Rangers really punches above its weight as a football club in the community in Glasgow.”

Former captain Terry Butcher was also in attendance, and shared his belief that the club is now in good hands after years of turbulence on and off the field.

The former England international won three league titles in four seasons at Ibrox and is confident his old club are now in a position to enjoy that kind of success again.

Butcher said: "Rangers are in good hands off the pitch and in good hands on the pitch as well, so we look forward to seeing more success.

“But they’ve got to earn it because teams will want to beat Rangers even more. I found that out in a short space of time when I was there, everyone wanted to beat you so you had to be on your toes and be sharp."