Kris Boyd in race for record as Rangers face pressure to cash in on striker

Published on Friday 18 December 2009 23:25

RANGERS v MOTHERWELL Clydesdale Bank Premier League At Ibrox, today, 3pm

KRIS Boyd may have to score better than a goal a game for the next fortnight if he is to equal Henrik Larsson's all-time SPL scoring record of 158 goals.

Speculation is mounting that cash-strapped Rangers will be forced by their financial troubles to sell their biggest goalscoring asset when the forthcoming January transfer window opens, rather than see him sign a Bosman-style pre-contract which would enable him to leave Ibrox for nothing in the summer.

Boyd has been linked most seriously with Newcastle United in England and Bochum in Germany's Bundesliga whose sporting director Thomas Ernst has admitted his admiration for Boyd's goals record. Both moves would be lucrative for Boyd, and while manager Walter Smith is adamant that Rangers do not need to sell anyone, the 'for sale' club might have no choice about reducing their debts and outgoings.

Given that nobody does anything in Scotland on Ne'erday and 2 January, Boyd could conceivably play his last match against Celtic at Parkhead on 3 January. That means the striker may only have today's home match against Motherwell, next Sunday's away encounter with Hibs, and the home match against Dundee United on 30 December plus the Old Firm game to bag the five goals he needs to match Larsson's record.

Boyd may stay with Rangers, of course, in which case he will almost certainly break Larsson's record sometime in the New Year.

If and when he does score his 158th SPL goal, Boyd will deserve the plaudits for "a fantastic achievement," according to his friend and colleague Kirk Broadfoot.

"It shows you how good he is in front of goal," said Broadfoot. "He is only 26 and yet could break the record this year."

Aware that his good friend may just possibly revel in the acclaim, Broadfoot joked: "I have every confidence he will break the record, but I'm dreading the day."

Boyd's manager Walter Smith is also confident Boyd's record will come: "He just does what he does, he has always scored goals and he is not going to stop scoring now just because he is close to somebody's record.

"The fact that he is nearing the record won't bother him. It is remarkable for the number of games he has played.

Smith quipped: "It won't bother him at all other than the fact that he'll want everyone to pass the ball to him – but then he always wants that."

As well as Broadfoot's return to fitness after a complex foot injury known as a lisfranc fracture – Brazilian superstar Kaka suffered a similar injury earlier this year – Smith will shortly receive another boost from the return of Maurice Edu who will be in contention for a place next week, though not for today's home fixture against Motherwell.

Throughout their extended recuperation, Broadfoot and Edu spent long hours together in the gym, and like midweek scorer DaMarcus Beasley, Broadfoot feels that American internationalist Edu has an extra spur to get back into the first team and reach full fitness – he could feature in that tournament which Scotland won't be attending in South Africa next summer.

Broadfoot said: "Mo and I became quite close because we were working hard together. We bounced off each other and we got each other through, even though he put it on Twitter that he beat me at a UFC video game.

"It will be like having a new player. Mo did really well for us at the end of last season and he is itching to get back to playing.

"I am sure he will have a wee thing in the back of his mind that he has a World Cup to maybe try and get to, so I'm sure he'll be working hard to get in the team."

Meanwhile, Rangers notched two firsts for Scottish football yesterday, when they became the first club in Britain to offer a customised internet web browser and the first side in Scotland to launch their own dedicated application for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch.

If you need an explanation of what that means, don't bother calling Walter Smith, as the manager cheerfully admitted his bafflement at the technology. For those fans who do understand the app business, the download is available from.rangers.co.uk.