JAMIE Murphy today admitted he is itching to start working with new Rangers manager Steven Gerrard after revealing the England great had phoned to wish him well on the Scotland tour of Peru and Mexico.

Gerrard officially starts his job at Ibrox on Friday - but the Liverpool legend made sure that he got in touch with Murphy before he jetted out to South America with the national squad last week.

The midfielder, whose loan move from Premier League club Brighton to his boyhood heroes was finally made permanent earlier this month, was already excited at the prospect of playing under one of the biggest names the British game has produced in the modern era.

However, the 28-year-old is now just as enthused about the prospect of the former Champions League winner taking over as excited Rangers supporters – over 40,000 of whom have snapped up season tickets for the 2018/19 campaign.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I spoke to the manager and he just wished me luck over here. That’s all I’m focussing on; coming away here, being in the squad and doing well.

“I spoke to him on the phone, just briefly. I was away on holiday last week and he was just basically saying good luck. It wasn’t unexpected, but any time a new manager speaks to you on the phone it’s welcome.”

Murphy continued: “I’m excited. It’s obviously a fresh start for next season. The season tickets sales are up and that kind of thing and it’s great because you want the supporters behind you.

“They have been great, so it’s something to look forward to and I have to use these next two games to get that extra bit of fitness. And to play for my country is always an honour.”

Murphy, who won his first Scotland cap after coming on in the friendly against Costa Rica at Hampden back in March, is vastly experienced after playing at Motherwell, Sheffield and Brighton in the last 12 years.

But he believes he will improve under Gerrard and is hopeful he can help Rangers, who lifted their last major trophy when they won the Premiership title seven years ago, end their wait for significant silverware in the coming season.

“I have learned something from every manager I’ve had so far,” he said. “I’ve had 10 or 11 managers and it’s been good to take something from all of them. The manager will come in with his own thoughts and obviously he was a top player himself.

“I never played against him myself. I never came across Gary McAllister either. I know he is a Motherwell boy. Both of them have played at the very highest level in the game. You are doing something wrong if you don’t learn from that.”

Murphy admitted that he was relieved his transfer to Rangers, the club he grew up in Glasgow supporting, was finalised before he travelled to Peru with the Scotland squad last week so.

But the forward, who joined Rangers on loan back in January, stressed that he was never concerned about the move falling through despite Graeme Murty, who was in temporary charge when he was signed, being replaced by Gerrard.

“I am glad everything got done before coming away here,” he said. “It’s helpful to be able to concentrate on just being away with Scotland and not having to focus on other things.

“I was delighted both clubs could agree because I knew I would agree. There was never any nagging doubt in my mind. Never. I want to be there to be part of the club’s quest to get back to the top.

“I was too busy concentrating on the football to think about all that kind of stuff like managers and that kind of thing.”