Toni Leistner has already set the wheels in motion to banish the disappointment of his debut season at Loftus Road.

The German defender has returned to pre-season training following a summer break to link-up with his teammates in Harlington and make a start on the hard graft ahead of another long season.

Manager Mark Warburton will begin the summer with a blank slate and will be looking at Leistner to set the tone on the training ground – even if it isn’t his favourite place to be.

The 28-year-old has however identified Rangers’ upcoming trip to Austria as an opportunity to develop the squad both physically and mentally.

“The last few days have been hard – but that’s pre-season,” said Leistner.

“It’s not the nicest part of the job as a professional footballer but we have to prepare properly for the season.

“We had a lot of ups and downs last season and a lot of things which didn’t go our way, but we start a fresh this season.

“We need more consistency and with the new manager we’re going to be working hard to achieve that.

“I know personally there are things I need to improve on and as a team we know we can do better.

“For now, it’s all about getting our fitness back – not just this week but next week and so on.

“Austria will be good for team spirit too, training and being together every day.”

Two of Leistner’s former teammates that won’t be joining him out in Austria are goalkeeper Matt Ingram, who has joined Hull City, and midfielder Jordan Cousins, who has moved to Stoke City.

Warburton has however recruited some support for his skipper at the back in the form of Yoann Barbet and Lee Wallace, while the arrival of Livingston shot-stopper Liam Kelly offsets Ingram’s departure.