Steven Naismith has flourished at Kilmarnock in the absence of Kris Boyd but the country's top goalscorer has welcomed the possibility of being reunited with the SPFA young player of the year at Ibrox next season.
Rangers are expected to offer in the region of £1m for Naismith. His 17 goals have alerted suitors from the Bank of Scotland Premierleague to the Barclays Premiership, but Boyd believes the emotional pull of the team he supported since childhood will prevail.
Arsenal's interest is reported to have cooled after Arsene Wenger invited the youngster on a week-long trial earlier this season. Naismith recovered from an indifferent spell on his return and has formed a formidable partnership with Colin Nish.
Walter Smith has already signed David Weir for an extra year, completed a permanent deal for Andy Webster, and invested in youth with the summer arrivals of Alan Gow from Falkirk and Kirk Broadfoot from St Mirren. Naismith would be a popular addition to an increasing Scottish cast and Boyd believes he can make as instant an impact as he himself did after his £400,000 transfer more than a year ago.
"With my situation, I'd have bitten anybody's hand off to come to Rangers and I think Naisy will be no different," said Boyd, who has scored more than 40 goals since his arrival. "He's a Rangers fan and to get the chance to come here and play is something he couldn't turn down. There's just not a bigger club to go to."
The Ibrox striker added: "I spoke to him on Wednesday and had a chat - of course, it was about a game of golf and nothing about football."
It is doubtful Rangers did not crop up during their conversation. Ian Durrant, a member of Smith's backroom team, has already offered a glowing reference of Naismith's attributes while his performances have spoken for themselves.
With so many young Scottish players incoming, and a promise from the chairman, Sir David Murray, that more funds will be made available for ready-made first-team regulars, there is a concern Naismith might struggle to establish himself in the short-term.
Boyd, though, wasted no time in securing his status as a regular starter and envisages no problems for Naismith in adapting to the rigours of Old Firm life. "If he does come to Rangers he'll be an asset to the club, there's no doubt about that," he said. "Naisy just gets on with his work and is ready to listen and take everything on board. It's important if he does come that he doesn't consider himself a squad player. He must believe that he can play.
"If he wasn't capable of that he wouldn't be there in the first place so he must take that on board if he signs."
To the horror of Premierleague defenders, Boyd has a new pair of shooting boots. He was speaking yesterday at the launch of the Nike Total 90 Lazer boot, a piece of luminous footwear that is said to promote greater accuracy and control.
He is confident the addition of a new crop of talent will offset the departures of senior servants such as Stefan Klos and Dado Prso and enhance Rangers' championship aspirations next season. "Even when Paul Le Guen was managing the club, the plan was for it to be a young team with the aim to build for the future," he said. "When you look at the signings already made, and the ones talked about, it's not going to be any different.
"We're building a team, a team which will see us win things immediately but also to keep us going for four or five years down the line."
Across the city, Celtic's trophy day against Hearts has taken on even greater significance since confirmation that their captain, Neil Lennon, has decided to end his association on a high. He has been integral to the club's success during the last seven years, winning five league titles, potentially four Tennent's Scottish Cups and two CIS Insurance Cups.
Boyd expressed his high regard for Lennon amid the controversies and criticisms that have happened upon him in Glasgow.
"For Celtic he's a big player and will be missed," he said. "You see the pelters he's taken for some of the things he's done but he has always come back to answer his critics wrong. There were people who wanted him out the door years ago but he's always shown he's good enough to be there.
"He's 35 now but still playing at this level and putting in high performances. It's more important what we do to build a team and challenge next season, rather than worrying about what Celtic are doing."
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