Russell Martin apologised to angry Rangers fans after crashing out of the Champions League play-off with a humiliating 9-1 aggregate defeat by Club Brugge, but insisted he was still the man to "get the place going".

Trailing 3-1 in the first leg at Ibrox, the visitors were a goal down after just five minutes from a Nicolo Tresoldi header before Gers right-back Max Aarons was sent off three minutes later for hauling back Christos Tzolis.

As the 10-man Govan side melted, goals from captain Hans Vanaken, Joaquin Seys - twice - and Aleksandar Stankovic had the home side five up at the break and Tzolis made it 6-0 early in the second half, with the travelling supporters venting their frustration yet again.

Martin has won just three games in 10 since becoming boss in the summer.

In terms of worst-ever European results, Rangers lost 7-1 to Liverpool at Ibrox in October 2022 and suffered a 6-0 defeat against Real Madrid in 1963, but asked if he still had belief that he was the right man to take Rangers forward, he said: "Yeah. I don't think I've learned anything new tonight, just really hurt, really embarrassed by the defeat.

"It's probably the toughest night I've had as head coach/manager. But it doesn't it doesn't change the fact that I think we can get this place going, we can get the team going.

"And as I said, progress and move forward and grow and we have an opportunity to really do that, to feel everything tonight that comes our way and accept it, because we have to with a manner of defeat and then we have a chance to really show some character and some growth and some personality and desire on Sunday."

Martin was referring to the visit of Celtic in the William Hill Premiership where a victory for the Hoops would take them nine points clear of the Light Blues after just four fixtures.

The former Southampton boss said: "There is no message to the players right now. I think we have to just feel the pain. So that is the message.

"There's no point in dissecting the game when everyone's emotions are high. We'll take a look at it; to the fans I have nothing but an apology.

"I'm really sorry that they had to witness that and it is humiliating, it's really painful. So I have nothing but disappointment and hurt that they've had to go through that.

"We had such a tough task tonight. The most hurtful thing is we make it so tough for ourselves. We did last Tuesday, we did tonight, so much self-inflicted pain.

"And then our response, because we're not strong enough as a group yet, our response to a bit of disappointment is just so poor, so poor.

"So, I understand fans' frustration, I understand the disappointment, understand their anger, because they love this club and they want to see a team that they're proud of.

"So even with 10 men, there wasn't enough to be proud about tonight. There was nothing to be proud of."