Boyd hints his future lies with Rangers and looks set to return to Scots fold next week

KRIS Boyd has provided further encouraging news for Rangers supporters by dropping the broadest hint yet that he will sign a new contract with the club.

At the end of a week when the Scottish champions announced half-yearly accounts which offered them some hope of emerging from their current financial difficulties, Boyd expressed his confidence he will remain at Ibrox beyond the expiry of his current deal at the end of the season.

The striker, whose next league goal will be his 100th for Rangers since joining them from Kilmarnock three years ago, has been offered a new three-year contract worth a reported 18,000-a-week.

Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston admitted earlier this week that his board would be unable to compete with rival offers for Boyd's services from English clubs. But the 26-year-old left little room for doubt yesterday as to the outcome he expects from the current deliberations.

"I'm sure something will be sorted out in the next wee while regarding my contract," said Boyd. "I think everyone knows my feelings towards Rangers. I enjoy myself here and I enjoy my football.

"I have to concentrate on the games at the moment and take it one step at a time. I'm sure the contract will be sorted out in the near future. I am not being distracted by it. The club and my agent will take care of that and sort it out.

"I just want to play football, score goals, win games and pick up trophies. That's a realistic ambition over the next few months with Rangers."

With uncertainty surrounding the future of manager Walter Smith, currently working without a contract at the club, Boyd added that his continuing presence at the club would be a significant factor in his own decision to stay.

"It would have a massive influence," said Boyd. "The gaffer has shown faith in me and I'd like to repay him for as long as possible. I'd be delighted if he stayed on as manager.

"When I look back, I've had my disagreements and fall-outs with him, but that's part and parcel of football. As I said, he has shown a lot of faith in me and given me an opportunity to play at this level."

As Boyd spoke to the media yesterday, news filtered through of the dates for Scotland's Euro 2012 qualifying matches. The striker's return to international football is expected to be confirmed on Monday when new manager Craig Levein names his maiden squad for the friendly against Group I rivals the Czech Republic at Hampden on 3 March.

Since withdrawing his services when left stewing on the bench by George Burley during the 0-0 draw against Norway in World Cup qualifying back in October 2008, Boyd says he has learned to address his own shortcomings as a player and believes he is now better equipped to perform effectively at the highest level for both club and country.

"Looking back at when I made my decision, I thought I was going nowhere," said an unusually reflective Boyd. "At that time, I was being left out of a lot of big games. I had been scoring goals in the weeks leading up to them, but still missed out when the big games came along.

"When I made the decision, the most important thing was to come back and show I was good enough to play for Rangers first of all.

"I realised something wasn't working or I wasn't doing something right. At that time, I thought goals were just enough. Now I know why I wasn't playing bigger games and what I had to change. I feel I have done that. It took a long time for it to sink in that scoring alone wasn't enough, but it has now, and I am a better player for it.

"I feel I have sorted things out and there are big games that will come in the future where I can finally contribute and influence the result. Hopefully I can continue to mature the way I have over the last 18 months and take it into the international level.

"I want to go back and play international football and hopefully give Scotland more than I did before.

"You want to be involved in the big international games which are the highlight of your career. They are the games I want to be involved in and I will look forward to the next campaign if I am selected. Hopefully this time we can make it to a major championship finals."

Boyd's immediate focus is today's televised lunchtime assignment against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park for Rangers as they seek to at least protect their ten-point lead over Celtic at the top of the SPL before next weekend's Old Firm collision at Ibrox.

"Hopefully we can put Celtic under more pressure before their game against Dundee United later in the day," he said.

"It would be good to stretch it to 13 points for a few hours, although I think Celtic are likely to win their game.

"We can't get too carried away because we know the points gap can change quickly. I was surprised by Marc-Antoine Fortune's comment last week, though, when he said he thought we would crack.

"He hasn't ever been in a position to know what it takes to overturn a lead or lose a title. It doesn't really bother us.

"We know the scenario and the challenge that faces us."