JAMES Tavernier believes Rangers are in perfect shape to launch their bid to reclaim the cinch Premiership trophy despite their defeat to Spurs.

A second-half Harry Kane double gave the visitors a 2-1 victory at Ibrox on Saturday in the hosts’ penultimate pre-season friendly match.

But Tavernier, who set up Antonio Colak for the opening goal in the first-half, was pleased with how Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team performed against Antonio Conte’s side.

The right back feels Rangers are prepared for their opening league game against Livingston this weekend and their Champions League third qualifying round match against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium a week tomorrow. 

“It was a good test,” he told Rangers TV. “Tottenham are a top side you can see the investment that they have done in their transfer windows and the quality players they’ve got.

“It was a great test for us. We are probably disappointed we lost the game the way we did and with the goals that we conceded. But we can be really happy with the progress that we’ve made in this pre-season.

“The boys are ready. The boss is putting everything in place so everyone’s ready for the first game of the season, whoever’s in the starting eleven. The boys are raring to go this season. It’s a big season and we want to start it off really well.”

Tavernier was delighted that Colak, who joined Rangers in a £1.8m transfer from PAOK in Greece earlier this month, scored his first goal for the Ibrox club against Spurs and thinks the Scottish Cup winners can take confidence from the chances they created.

“That’s what we want to do, we want to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the world,” he said. “We will never back off home or away, especially at home. We always want to try to win.

“I am really happy and all the boys are really looking forward to Livingston now we’ve got a full week when we can prepare and go into that game really strong.”

Asked what it was liking facing Kane and Heung-min Son, Tavernier added: “This is what we want to do. Especially with the Champions League qualifiers, we want to play against the top teams and I don’t think there’s many teams out there with that calibre of counter-attacking football and the passing they can do.

“The team defended for the majority of the game really well. I felt Lunny (John Lundstram) did a great job in that pocket for us. We are obviously a little bit disappointed, but it’s a good learning curve and it will put us in a good position for Livingston.”

Meanwhile on Sunday, Zak Lovelace hit a double as Rangers came from two goals down to beat Queen’s Park 3-2 in a pre-season friendly.

The 16-year-old summer signing from Millwall came off the bench to help turn the game around after an own goal had given Gers hope.

Scott Williamson netted twice for Owen Coyle’s side in the first half.

The training-ground game allowed Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst to hand Ben Davies a first run-out. The former Preston and Liverpool centre-back played the first half before being replaced by Nikola Katic.