STEVEN GERRARD set off on the journey from Liverpool to Brighton hoping to do a deal he knew would be crucial for Rangers.

The return was made safe in the knowledge that he had all-but landed one of his key targets and added a player, and a man, that would lead by example on and off the park at Ibrox.

It was during those intervening hours that he and Connor Goldson talked life and football as the deal that would bring the defender to Glasgow edged ever closer to completion.

That trip and that talk may only have been a few weeks ago but the effort already looks like paying off handsomely for Gerrard and Rangers. Indeed, the same can be said for Goldson.

The goal he scored against Ufa on Thursday was as important as the clean sheet he helped Rangers earn as the Light Blues set their sights on the Europa League.

Goldson’s impact has been impressive and immediate at Ibrox. Even at this early stage, he seems destined to repay Gerrard’s faith in him.

“He’s not a Scouser but he is a Liverpool fan,” Gerrard said. “He is a Midlands boy, his wife is from Brighton.

“There is a good story, actually, when I went to go and meet him. He said he would like to meet me face to face because we had spoken a lot on the phone and I said ‘of course, I will come down and see you’.

“I’m thinking an hour, hour and a half from Liverpool to the Midlands, not a problem. So I said ‘send me your postcode’ and he sent me a message and he was in his missus’ house in Brighton so it was a ten hour round trip. I thought ‘if he doesn’t sign today…’

“He never, his wife gave me a nice cup of tea and I got a very nice welcome. We had a good chat face to face and it was cards on the table.

“What do you want? What do you need in terms of your career? What is the next step? We went from there. And being a Liverpool fan certainly helped as well.”

The seven-figure fee that Rangers paid Brighton and Hove Albion to secure Goldson’s services is the largest that Gerrard has sanctioned to date at Ibrox. On the first handful of matches, it will be money well spent.

The spine of the side – from Allan McGregor to Goldson and Nikola Katic and beyond – has been in place for some time and will be the foundation upon which Gerrard looks to build this term.

Goldson arrived at Ibrox aiming for a fresh start after a difficult couple of years personally and professionally. As is often said, form is temporary, but class is permanent.

“We were very keen to get him in the door,” Gerrard said with a smile and a nod when it was pointed out that £3million appeared to be a bit of a bargain buy for Rangers.

“The reason Connor wasn’t playing at Brighton wasn’t because he wasn’t good enough. Connor wasn’t playing at Brighton because Duffy and Dunk were in the form of their lives.

“They were solid. It was a hell of a partnership. Sometimes as a footballer, you’ve got to hold your hand up and say, if they are consistently playing well, I can’t get in.

“We benefited from that because Connor was frustrated. He loves playing.

“He was our main target from the off. I wanted to start from the back to the front. McGregor was virtually done.

“The priority for myself and Mark was Connor Goldson because we knew he would be big for us. We have got a Premier League defender here, without a shadow of doubt.”

Rangers fans were rightly excited at the prospect of seeing Goldson in action when he put pen-to-paper on a four-year deal in June, but the reaction of the Seagulls supporters was just as telling as he moved north of the border.

The stopper left Brighton to a chorus if well-wishes and now he has quickly endeared himself to the Light Blue legions this term.

“He is a top human being. He has recently had a new born baby and is starting a family so he is in a great place,” Gerrard said.

“He has bought a place here, he is settled. He is a humble person and someone who is going to go on and have a fantastic career, I have no doubt.

“I think Chris Hughton was really respectful and honest and understood he wanted to play football. He is in a good place and long may that continue because he has been fantastic for me.

“He, first and foremost, thinks he belongs at a club like that. He has been waiting for a set of supporters to jump on him and come with him.

“I think it was a perfect match. I think Rangers was perfect for Connor and vice versa. It is a great match.”

The partnership between Goldson and Katic has matured at an encouraging rate in recent weeks and that pairing should continue to grow and improve as the campaign goes on.

The Englishman offers an experience and presence that Rangers have been sorely lacking over the last couple of years. At both ends of the park, he is a dominating figure but there is a quality and a class to compliment the strength and desire.

Gerrard said: “I don’t think physicality is the right word to describe Connor. He’s a winner.

“He wants to win and he’ll do everything he can to win football matches. If someone wants to come and mix it with him, he’ll mix it with them, but Connor can play football.

“He’s a footballer. I don’t think you can just describe his physicality. He’s got the lot. He has shown that on a consistent basis.

“But he’s quite happy to deal with whatever you throw at him. If you want to pile balls into our box, he will go and defend our box.

“We’ve done a lot of work on set pieces as a unit, certainly defensively, defending our goal and helping Allan.

“At the other end, we have got the height. Kyle (Lafferty) coming in will help us with that. Hopefully we’ll get another defender in who will help us with that. We can certainly be a threat at the other end.”