Rangers attacker Fleck shows off the team's new strip

Rangers teenage forward John Fleck says there was too much expectation on him when he made his first-team breakthrough a couple of seasons ago.

Fleck made his top-team debut aged 16 in a Scottish Cup tie against East Stirlingshire in January 2008.

He said: "Some people expected too much of me. I'm still young. People expected me to play like Wayne Rooney every week - that was never going to happen.

"He's a world-class player and it takes time for a young boy to come through."

Fleck, now 18, signed a new three-year deal with the Scottish champions in the spring and says at no point did he want to leave Ibrox.

He turned down a contract in January and there had been speculation linking him with a move away from Glasgow.

"This is the only place I wanted to play," he explained.

"There were people going about saying I wanted to leave but I only wanted to stay here."

Fleck, speaking at the launch of the new Rangers home kit, has featured only intermittently in Walter Smith's plans in the past two-and-a-half years, making 24 appearances.

And he realises that the new season will be important for his development.

"I've been involved for the last couple of years now, coming off the bench and things like that, and hopefully this will be a big season for me," said Fleck.

"I'm still young. I am not saying I am going to play every week but if I am doing well in training the gaffer will make his choices.

"I just want to play as much as I can. If I play, then great; if I don't, I'll just need to keep working hard.

"I know I've got to work on my finishing, things like my heading and my strength."

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