Walter Smith tips Webster to thrive back at Rangers

Published on Wednesday 10 March 2010 22:23

RANGERS manager Walter Smith has backed Andy Webster to play a significant role at Ibrox when he returns from his loan spell at Dundee United.

Webster last week won his 23rd Scotland cap – following a four-year international exile – after shaking off a series of injury problems to return to form during his season-long stint at Tannadice.

The 27-year-old made just 11 first-team appearances in the three seasons which followed his pioneering move from Hearts to Wigan in 2006, when he used new Fifa rules to leave Tynecastle a year before his contract expired.

Only one of those displays came after moving on to Rangers, but he has now made 23 appearances for United. Although Webster's loan agreement will deprive him of the chance to add to that tally when the Tayside club visit Ibrox in the Active Nation Scottish Cup quarter-finals on Sunday, Smith has seen enough to know he can help Rangers next term.

And with David Weir turning 40 in May, there may be a vacancy in central defence. "I have been impressed by Andy," Smith told Rangers News. "He has been captain at Dundee United and, as someone who is on loan, that's a real accolade for him.

"It's a reflection of how the people up there view him and the reason I let him go elsewhere was because he was going through a terrible injury period here.

"He wasn't settling down but I'm hoping the confidence he gets from going out on loan and playing can kick-start his career when he comes back to us next season."

Smith, who is working without a contract as the club push on with takeover talks with a consortium headed by London-based estate agent Andrew Ellis, added: "I'm not sure of what future any of us will have here but I think putting him out to United has worked well for him. He had a hard period here where, due to contractual situations and his transfer from Hearts to Wigan, he stalled a bit.

"He had a terrific start to his career but it hit the skids when that happened to him and he was unfortunate when he came here and played just once in two-and-a-half years. If my memory serves me correctly, he scored in that one against Gretna but injuries limited him a lot.

"I think he's over that now."