HE MAY not be quite a forgotten man, considering the vulnerability that has been the case in Rangers' defence this season, but Australian internationalist Craig Moore relishes the prospect of a return to prominence after a hard time since he went through two operations on his knee, the second following a breakdown in the only competitive game he has played this season, against Zalgiris Kaunas in the Champions League qualifying tie at Ibrox on July 26.

Moore has had a frustrating time, especially when you consider that he is a unique man, a player who has been recalled to the fold after being sold by Dick Advocaat. To be fair to the manager, he had never wanted Moore to leave but, as his contact was close to a finish, the option to sell was taken up and he went to Crystal Palace.

The London club struggled to find the cash to pay Rangers for their new man and the consequence was that he came back to Glasgow where he soon became the regular partner for Lorenzo Amoruso.

He fulfilled the faith placed in him by Advocaat but then suffered a knee injury in March and since then has been having a tough time getting back to full fitness.

However, he is optimistic, now he is back in full training, that he will be fit and available for the last game of the first phase of the Champions League, against Monaco at Ibrox on November 7.

He would like to think he would be able to be considered for the second last tie, against Sturm Graz in Austria on October 25, but that seems a rather optimistic hope.

Moore has the character to withstand the ups and downs that have bedevilled his time in Scotland, considering that it all began when he was a17-year-old, but he has words of encouragement for others who may find the initial spell in this country difficult to cope with.

Speaking at the launch of a testimonial year for one of Rangers' most devoted fans, former player John Brown, who is now on the coaching staff, Moore revealed that he had a tough time when he first appeared in the Ibrox first team and made the point that major names before and after him had also endured that kind of reception.

His words were directed, in particular, at one of his successors in central defence, Bert Konterman, who is beginning to be accepted for the talent that he is but who has had a mixed reaction since he stepped into the heart of the Rangers defence alongside Amoruso.

''Many players have had to go through what he is going through at Ibrox but if you have the strength of character to emerge from it, you are a better player for it.

''Look at players like Mark Hateley, Ally McCoist, and Andy Goram, who all had a difficult time here to begin with. Now they are all Rangers legends.''

Moore would be the first to admit that he has some way to go before he attains that status, but is happy that, for the moment, he is edging back towards a place in the squad. ''I don't have any targets in mind because I just want to keep on making progress, but I would be disappointed if I didn't make it into contention by the end of the first phase of the Champions League.

Moore also had some encouragement for young players who are worried about not making the breakthrough at Ibrox. He did it after a long spell as a bit player in the Rangers cast list and says: ''If you work hard all the time you will get your chance, but if it does not pan out with Rangers, all the hard work will still pay off if you move elsewhere.''

Like every other member of the old Ibrox gang who gathered at Ibrox yesterday, Moore recognises that an era has gone and a new one is here. Even so, it was hard for him to resist the nostalgia that prevailed in the atmosphere as they all appeared to pay homage to Brown, who is perhaps the most dedicated and loyal Rangers man since John Greig came through the impressive portals.

There they were, from former manager Walter Smith to Ally McCoist, to Andy Goram, Ian Durant, Davie Dodds, Ian Ferguson, Archie Knox, and Gordon Durie - a gathering of great recent memory for Ibrox aficionados.

Said Goram: ''It is great to be among these guys again. People forget that we had a team that in 1992-93 had a great run in Europe and all of us were British.

''I honestly believe that, if we had had Brian Laudrup and Paul Gascoigne then, we would have won the Champions League.''

Brown's testimonial will start with a dinner at Glasgow diner- cum-nightclub Victorias on October 29 and a game against Everton, managed by his old mentor, Walter Smith, is planned for July.

Said chairman David Murray: ''We had intended the Ian Durrant testimonial to be the last but we have had so many requests for a benefit for John that we just had to allow it. He has been a great servant to the club.''