KRIS Boyd has backed Alfredo Morelos to score 25 goals for Rangers this season – but he will need help from those around him.

The Kilmarnock captain bagged 138 for the Ibrox side over two spells and while the 22-year-old Colombian has a bit to go before he can think about matching that record, he has started this campaign in encouraging form.

Rangers are at Rugby Park on Sunday for the Betfred Cup and Scottish football’s deadliest marksman believes Steven Gerrard can bring the best from his main striker.

Boyd said: “Morelos is a young boy. When you perform in front of that crowd, you are anxious to score goals. I think a lot of the time he does maybe rush things, but you saw last year that when he scores a number of goals in a row he seems to settle down and become a totally different player.

“Morelos is definitely someone who brings something to Rangers. He can be a handful and the big thing is that he’s still only 22 and he can improve.

“He has that knack of being in the right place at the right time and he can score goals. I don’t think he’s one to take people on, he depends more on service from his team-mates.

"He works really hard for the team and that’s something we’ll need to be aware of on Sunday, along with his physicality.

“The guys round about him need to be creating chances and, if they do that, he can certainly score goals. Every striker will tell you they want to play two up front but it’s not something we’ve really seen from Rangers.

“You can get combinations, you can get flick-downs and you can get someone else battling so you’re not taking on the centre-halves on your own. Your partner can drop short and create a bit of space for you as well. If that was the case, maybe he would score goals.

“But Rangers have been more solid at the back this season and to allow them to do that they probably had to sacrifice a striker. As it stand right now, I don’t think he’ll be worried about not having a partner. The most important thing for him is that he’s playing.

“If he does ignore defenders and concentrates on what he needs to do, I’m sure he can get close to that 20 or 25-goal target."

Morelos does have a temper, as was seen at Aberdeen, and defenders are going to try and provoke him to lash out as he did at Scott McKenna which earned him a red card.

Boyd has become a master of ignoring wind-ups and focussing on scoring, which is why he is now only two away from 300 career goals,

The 34-year-old said: “Pedro Caixinha said last year that Morelos is easily wound up. It’s something you have to deal with as a young player.

“You’re playing for Rangers, you’re scoring goals, you’re a threat – teams will try to do something to put you off. He is a handful but that’s just the way he is.

“I remember last year we were playing against them in a closed-doors game and the referee was going to send him off. You can’t change him but if he’s getting involved in little incidents he doesn’t need to then that’s something he has to brush up on.

“You need to pick and choose your moments to have a go back. It’s not the first time you’ve stood on somebody or somebody has nipped you.

“For me, the best way to shut somebody up is to score a goal. It might take until the 89th minute but it’s the best way.

“Morelos has definitely got that in. He keeps going to the last whistle but he needs to learn to ignore things because he is going to be a target for defenders.”