It has been a case of evolution rather than revolution for John Souttar. First he found his feet at Rangers and now he is finding his voice.

For so many seasons, it was a case of Connor Goldson and a plus one at the heart of the Ibrox defence. Souttar, of course, fulfilled that role on many occasions. Now it is the Scotland international that it is the stalwart and the first centre-back name on the team sheet.

The injury issues that plagued Souttar earlier in his career and in the first term of his time at Rangers are behind him. His trajectory has been an upward one for several months now and his importance to Philippe Clement could be enshrined in black and white as talks continue over an extension to the contract he signed when he moved from Hearts under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

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There have been few standout performers for Clement's side over the course of this term. Souttar has been solid and steady overall, however. The 28-year-old has never been more important or integral at Ibrox.

“I think that you see also that somebody who knows all the principles now because we've been one year together,” Clement said. “And in that way, making comparisons from what I've been talking about before. I hear my colleague on the other side saying that they were booed off last season. But they kept this team together and they've been working on the details to make it better and better.

“That's what we're going to do. That's what we're doing with John and with all the players. John evolved really well on the ball, off the ball, physically also, in being available. It's a big difference with the past. In his personality also, in the dressing room, on the pitch. I'm really pleased about that.

“It's about his job, what he's doing every day. It's about the staff working really well with him. Like this, I see already several good stories with players becoming better. Also with the new ones. I think Conor Barron is, for example, also a good story. Jefte is a good story.

“Vaclav is a good story. Two months ago, he was weak and he missed the chances and he was not good enough. And now he's been the one who made the difference the last couple of weeks and has been very important for the team.

“I see a really good, positive evolution in that way. And John is an example. If you work one year and you know all the principles, it's easier also to do the right things on the field.”

The slot on the right side of the centre-back pairing belonged to Goldson for the majority of his Rangers career. When Souttar got the nod, he had to operate on an unfamiliar left side.

The departure of Goldson this summer opened up an opportunity for Souttar. It is one that he has made the most of and he has been as reliable in terms of his selection and his showings as Goldson was for so long. He does, however, still have work to do if he is to become as vocal as his former defensive partner was.

“It's getting better,” Clement said. “I would not put him at the same level of Connor yet. Not yet. He's more demanding towards others. He's more coaching, that's true.

“But he still for me has steps to take in that way. He knows, working on that. But evolution is very positive because before it was almost not the case and he was only focused on himself and what to do.

“So that's a big turnaround for a player. You have some people who have this naturally, who do that already in academy, in youth games. John is not that kind of character, but he took really good steps and he's becoming much more influential in the dressing room but also on the pitch.”

Clement needs as many players as possible to stand up and be counted right now. The visit of Kilmarnock is the latest must-win Premiership outing for Rangers and comes ahead of a trip to Ross County that acts as the final warm-up for a daunting double-header with Tottenham and Celtic.

The Belgian boss finds himself under the spotlight and under pressure. He could point to the improvement in Souttar as a consequence his guidance and his coaching. Clement is not one to take praise unnecessarily, however, and he played down his role in Souttar’s rise and rise.

“I don't want to say that because that means that you cannot give good advice to attacking players,” Clement said when asked if his own career as a defender had helped him coach Souttar over the last year. “And I like that also because as a centre-defender, and I also played at six a lot as a defensive midfielder, so then you know also what you don't like as a defender, for example.

“No, I don't want to put any credit on myself about the evolution of John. It's about him, it's about the staff, how they worked. It's about him also feeling really comfortable in the way we want to play because he knows all the principles now.

“He made mistakes in the past and learned out of it. He knows also now much more if there's a problem, what is the solution because we've been in that trajectory already with him a few times and he learns out of that.

(Image: PA)

“And that's what we are doing now with all these new players also. So it's all credit to John that he's open to learn and he's critical for himself and that he puts in all the effort every day. But that's what I demand of every player in this club, to be open to wanting to learn and to work hard every day and then they will all evolve in a good way. So that's because of them and because of the staff.”

A defining and decisive run of fixtures in December is the priority for Clement and Souttar at present. What happens in the longer-term future can be considered at a later date.

Souttar’s contract situation falls into that category. Clement sidestepped a question about the stopper having the potential to be the best in Scotland in his position but was quick to confirm Souttar’s stance as the best at Ibrox this term.

“It's on the table and it's progressed when things are arranged,” Clement said. “So that's not the case yet. So we will see what's going to happen next couple of months. He still has more than one year and a half to go. But he knows that I'm happy with the evolution he made and it shows also in his play.

“I don't want to compare with other teams because yet again I don't have any control of how they are performing. But for sure he's been our best defender this season, the most regular one in our team. And he progressed really well. Not only in his duels, what he had before already, but he became stronger in that, but also in his handling of the ball.

“And he made a really, really big progression in that way. So we still see things that we can make better, that we want to make better together. He's also critical in that way with himself. But I'm really happy with what he's been showing in total.”