IF Bruno Alves turns out to be as good at defending on the pitch as he is defending Pedro Caixinha then Rangers won’t lose so many goals from set-pieces this season.

Im many ways he has been brought to Scotland to do both.

The 35-year-old might be as of yet unaware he's being seen by many as the leader and saviour of this Rangers team, and that’s without him kicking a ball in anger which he will do on Saturday against Marseille at Ibrox.

Read more: Barrie McKay: Treatment I received from Pedro Caixinha forced me out of Rangers

Alves spoke to the media for the first time yesterday and a lot has happened since his medical in Glasgow a few weeks ago. In short, Luxembourg happened.

The upcoming match with the French side may only be a friendly, or warm-up to be exact, but if Marseille win by a few goals, coming on the back of that European exit, then even more pressure will be heaped on the Rangers manager, who hasn’t spoken in public for three weeks, by a support a million miles from convinced about what's going on at their club right now.

They are, however, convinced by Alves who does arrive with 13 winners medals from across Europe and with Portugal with whom he’s won 93 caps. In perfect English, the defender spoke of what he can bring to the party and asked for Caixinha to be given more time to put things right.

Alves said: “It is too early to think about that (the criticism). I think we need to see what is going to happen in the season. He has not had enough time to build what he wants to build, and to put Rangers in the place the club needs to be.

Read more: Barrie McKay: Treatment I received from Pedro Caixinha forced me out of Rangers

“I know you don’t get time in Glasgow but that just doesn’t happen here. It is all over football. He is trying to get over his ideas and that takes time. Nothing comes so fast. He should have time to prepare.

“He is a respected coach in Portugal. I played against his teams and I think he is a coach with a strong character, good ideas and I think he is the right person for this job. He has a strong personality. I like the way he deals with the players. That’s important.

“I think and believe - it’s why I came here - that he will do a good job.

“Both the coach and history is why I came here. The history I know. I have played here before. I know the environment, the football and the club. This was my personal choice but if Pedro wasn’t here then maybe I wouldn’t join.

“It was through him that I came to Rangers. However, it was good for me to have this offer. I didn’t think twice. I just wanted to come.”

For Rangers to do anything this season, Alves will need to be good. The guy remains a class act and should be the dominating, organsing centre-half that team has been screaming out for.

Read more: Barrie McKay: Treatment I received from Pedro Caixinha forced me out of Rangers

The Portuguese was on holiday when his new side went out of Europe and spoke about being up to “maximum power” for when the league campaign begins.

And if the supporters and his team-mates are looking to this former Porto, Zenit St Petersburg and Fenerbache man to lead the way, well then his broad shoulders will cope with that.

Alves said: “I don’t feel pressure because of my experience and what I’m like in myself. I come here to help, to give the best of me and when you give your best then good things will come.

“I’ve always had responsibility in football. Most of the time I play for titles and this brings you a lot of responsibility. It’s the same in the national team where we have very difficult games, qualification campaigns, World Cups, Confederation Cups.

“All the time it’s very difficult games and when you play as a defender you have extra responsibility. You lose a goal and it can put you in or out of the team.

“I am prepared. I come from three generations of football players. My father played in Brazil for Flamenco my uncle played for the Brazilian national team and Flamenco too.

Read more: Barrie McKay: Treatment I received from Pedro Caixinha forced me out of Rangers

"My grandfather played professionally in Brazil also. My brothers and cousins are all professional and it’s something I respect. It’s my job and I give my best. I know what to expect.”

There won’t have been much Alves hasn’t experienced in his career but this season is going to be something of a first.

Rangers is hardly the first club he’s played with for which winning is everything. Rarely if ever has been in a team which has found winning so difficult. Alves is a player, no question about it, but just one man isn’t going to stop Celtic.

Alves said: “I think we need to think about ourselves, about Rangers and what we can do. The way we can prepare for the Premiership and so on.

“I came here to win. Almost all of the clubs I played for I won and this is my expectation for Rangers now I am here. I hope that, altogether, we can do something good.”

He is far from alone in hoping that.