Graeme Murty insists Rangers' Jamie Murphy can earn Scotland call

Jamie Murphy was called into the Scotland squad in 2016 but did not earn a cap

Graeme Murty has backed new Rangers signing Jamie Murphy to play his way into the Scotland set-up.

Murphy, 28, signed from Brighton on a loan deal until the summer with a view to permanent switch.

And as Mexican midfielder Carlos Pena nears a loan move to Cruz Azul in his homeland, Murty has tipped Murphy to make a major impact.

"I don't see any reason why he can't attract national interest," manager Murty told the Rangers website.

"I'm sure that's one of the reason he's come back, to be in their mindset and hopefully help us push on."

• Lasley backs Murphy to shine

Murphy represented Scotland at under-19 and under-21 levels, but has yet to win a full cap despite being called into the squad twice in 2016.

The former Sheffield United and Motherwell winger will join the Ibrox outfit on their winter break in Florida, with Murty revealing he was a long-time target who came highly recommended.

"He is one we identified really early for that left-flank slot," the Ibrox boss added.

Pena is returning to Mexico to join Pedro Caixinha at Cruz Azul

"He brings a wealth of experience and he's had glowing endorsements from not only coaching staff and managers, but also players that I've played with, that have played with him, in terms of the character that he is, and he was another one who was desperate to come.

"He's a Rangers fan, he brings recognisable attributes and he can go and contribute straight away, and that was really important.

"I think bringing him in brings a different dimension to the team and I'm really excited about that.

"He's still exciting and he's still got pace, he's still got the ability to beat a man and deliver an end product in the final third, but he's not a boy anymore.

"He's now a man ready to shoulder a man's burden in the team hopefully, and we're really excited to get this more polished article and give him a stage that's ready for him to shine on."

As Murphy joins up at Ibrox, summer signing Pena is on the brink of a loan deal with Cruz Azul, who are managed by former Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha.

Pena was seen as a major acquisition but, despite scoring five goals, the 27-year-old Mexico international failed to earn himself a regular first-team berth.

Cruz Azul confirmed on Twitter that a deal for Pena is close.

With more movement expected at Ibrox in the coming weeks, Murty is already looking forward to the second half of the season.

"I've got a clear vision in my mind what we want to achieve this season," he added. "It's my job to impart that and hopefully the rest of the squad are as excited as Jamie about achieving that.

"If we do that then we can push on together and make sure the rest of this season is a successful one."