BRUNO Alves has medals from across the game. Now, he wants a reason to celebrate in Scotland.

The Portuguese has tasted success throughout his career and has shone for club and country. His personal trophy haul is impressive, but he isn’t finished.

When Alves hangs up his boots, a Betfred Cup win is unlikely to rank amongst his finest or most important moments. It is a goal he still wants to achieve, though, and an ambition that will drive him when he takes to the famous Hampden turf for the first time on Sunday.

The collection of medals range from Super Cup successes in Turkey and Russia to international gongs with Portugal. The next one matters the most, however, as Alves prepares for the semi-final meeting with Motherwell.

“It is the most important trophy for me because it is the present,” he said. “Everything that I won before was important but I want to win now. It would be special and it is important for me to be a winner with my new team.

“I am always trying to win titles and that was one of the reasons I came here. I feel I am bringing something to the club and I want to win something for the club.”

Victory over Motherwell this weekend would see Rangers go one step better than they managed in the League Cup and the Scottish Cup last term as they suffered double Hampden heartaches against Celtic.

After a mixed start to the Premiership campaign, Caixinha needs a big performance and a big result from his side.

“It’s for everyone not just the coach,” Alves said. “He knows what he is doing and he’s doing a good job.

“I think it would be special for the players because we have been working very hard since the beginning of the season. I think it would special for the fans and for the club and want to create the conditions where we can win many more times.”

Rangers head into the semi-final showdown on Sunday with back-to-back Premiership wins to their credit after seeing off Hamilton and St Johnstone either side of the international break.

Caixinha has yet to record three successes on the spin during his Ibrox tenure and Alves knows a victory at Hampden would be another step in the right direction for the Gers.

He said: “It is important to win and to keep winning to keep this routine and momentum, to go to the pitch before the game and know we can win and make good games and perform.

“This is all the time in the heads of the players. We are working very well to have more results like this, to win more times. Everything needs some time and I think at this moment we are much better than when we start.”

Having been so near yet so far from major silverware in recent seasons, the chance to go all the way at Hampden this time around is one that Rangers are determined to make the most of.

An expectant 38,000-strong support will watch Caixinha’s side in action on Sunday and Alves knows the Light Blues have to rise to the occasion against the Steelmen.

“Of course this is an important game but there is always pressure for every game.”

“We just need to do our best and win. Since I’ve arrived here, even the friendly games have had pressure because of the number of fans there. We need to win for them. But it’s good to have this pressure. Football players want this pressure. Pressure to win and to lift titles is better than any other pressure in football.”

With doubts over Kenny Miller’s situation at Ibrox, Alves could lead the Light Blues out on Sunday.

Miller was sent to play with the Light Blues’ Under-20s at Brentford after Caixinha’s side beat Hamilton and was then left out of the squad for the trip to St Johnstone on Friday night.

But Alves believes the 37-year-old will be fully motivated if he returns to action against the Steelmen.

He said: ‘I don’t know [if I will have the armband until Lee Wallace is back]. I just received the armband. I am one of the captains but Lee and Kenny are the captains.

“He has trained as normal. He is doing his job like always. He is training very well and is very motivated all the time. Nothing has changed from before.”

The situation surrounding Miller has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks after Caixinha adopted a ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’ stance to questions about his future.

Only time will tell what the future holds for Miller but Alves insists his Gers team-mates haven’t had to pick him up during a difficult few weeks.

He said: “We don’t need to motivate Kenny. From what I know of him he motivates himself.

“He always shows his character in training and in the matches so none us need to say anything to him. He has been like this in training all this week and we expect it from him because he is always like this.”