JOSH Windass hopes to help Rangers bounce back from their agonising loss to Celtic with a win over Kilmarnock today – and edge ahead of both his team mate Alfredo Morelos and opposition striker Kris Boyd in the Scottish scoring charts at the same time.

Windass was devastated when his early goal in the Old Firm game at Ibrox last Sunday failed to help Graeme Murty’s side beat Brendan Rodgers’s team and move to just three points of them in the Ladbrokes Premiership table.

The Englishman is determined to ensure that the Glasgow club show a positive response to the painful reverse when they face the Kilmarnock team that beat them 2-1 at Rugby Park back in December.

At the same time, the 24-year-old, who has been on target no fewer than 17 times in all competitions during the 2017/18 campaign, would like to get his name on the scoresheet.

That will improve his chances of winning the personal competition he has going on with Morelos, who has also bagged 17, and Boyd, who has hit the net on 19 occasions.

"I was doing a programme with Boydie a few weeks ago and we were having a bit of banter and a laugh about the top goalscorer award," he said. "The three of us, Boydie, Alfredo and I are competing for that.

“Boydie’s flying, absolutely flying. I check their results every week and see that he’s scored and I’m raging when he does. I’m just trying to do my best for Rangers, but that’s a little side bet, a bit of banter and bit of personal reward. Obviously it’s all about the team, but to get as many goals as we can will be nice for me and Alfredo.

“Alfredo doesn’t speak that much English, but I’m sure he doesn’t like it too much when I score and go ahead of him. He’s a competitive striker and I’m sure he wants to be the best he can be and it’s the same with me. We’re all trying to do our best to succeed for Rangers.

“The fact Boydie is still scoring goals and being the top scorer at his age is unbelievable. I watch a lot of football and I watch a lot of the games that he plays in. He gets himself into good positions and is always in there to finish his chances.

“He is a great example to just keep going because it didn’t really happen as much for him last year. He has come back this season and been brilliant for Kilmarnock. He is loving it - you can see that in his celebrations.

“He obviously loves scoring goals and being jeered by the opposition fans and hopefully he won’t have a good game this weekend. I’ve met him a few times since I’ve been up here because Kenny Miller knows everybody obviously. He is a good lad and I just hope he has a bad game this weekend.”

Windass, who was brought in for just £60,000 from English League Two club Accrington Stanley two seasons ago, has taken time to justify his signing, but he believes playing in his preferred position just off the striker has helped him come good.

“I’ve said to hundreds of people since I’ve signed the club signed me to play in this position,” he said. “I was always a bit confused, to be honest. They didn’t play me in the position they signed me for. But obviously getting the chance to do it this season has proved me right really.

“It sounds arrogant, but I always expected to score a lot of goals if I played in the position I know I can play in,” he said. “My best tally for a season is 17 with Accrington the season I came here and I’ve got 17 now with quite a few games left. Hopefully I will beat that this season.

“I spoke to them quite a lot. I asked if I could play in that position, but I’m not one to say ‘if I’m not playing there I’m not going to play’. I still played a lot of games under both managers (Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha) and learned different positions. It can only benefit you and my overall game.”

Windass set up Morelos for a gilt-edged chance just a few yards in front of the Celtic goal at the weekend when he forced a save from Scott Bain and was distraught to see his team mate strike the post.

But he revealed the Columbian had been in good spirits in training at Auchenhowie this week and backed him to put the disappointment behind him if he gets any scoring opportunities against Kilmarnock this afternoon.

“Alfredo’s scored loads of goals this season and I’ve no doubt that was just a freak miss,” he said. “If that opportunity comes up again I’m 100 percent sure he’ll score.

“I don’t think misses affect top strikers. Obviously, you are going to get chances every week. If you let your head go down you’re going to keep missing them.

“That was my problem at the beginning of the season, I missed a few chances in a couple of games and maybe let that get to me a bit too much but I’ve recovered from that and done well.”

Windass hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons last month when he held his finger to his lips after scoring in a league game against Partick Thistle at Firhill to shush the Rangers supporters who had been giving him stick.

The 24-year-old forecast that he could easily do something silly again in future, but he revealed he has learned from his mistake and has a greater understanding of what is required to be a Rangers player.

“It was just a celebration, it was nothing malicious,” he said. “I scored and thought ‘why not?’ I do loads of daft stuff. It’s just football isn’t it?

“There’s a quote down the corridor on a board from Richard Gough which says you are only as good as your last pass at this football club and obviously I’ve come to realise that’s been true since I’ve been here. The pressure has been high, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”