'Keeping manager is no-brainer', says David Weir

RANGERS captain David Weir says the top priority of any new owner of the Ibrox club should be to persuade Walter Smith to extend his managerial tenure.

As the club confirmed the opening of discussions with various parties interested in buying out Murray International Holdings' controlling interest, Weir insisted Smith's presence is crucial for continued success on the field for the Scottish champions.

"Maybe I'm biased, but it is just common sense, a no-brainer to keep the manager," said Weir. "Regardless of what is happening with the ownership of the club, he is the best man for the job as far as I'm concerned. He would be a very hard act to follow.

"When you look at his record, regardless of the circumstances he has had to work under, the success he has had at Rangers has been unbelievable. When you take all the off the field things into consideration, then it just magnifies the success he has had here."

Smith has been working without a contract at Rangers since January but Weir says he has not allowed the financial problems at the Ibrox club to have any impact on the playing staff.

"He has shielded us from those kind of things," said Weir. "With all the talk about no new players coming to the club, the key thing for me is that the manager and his staff have been operating without contract. He has never allowed it to become an issue, but for me it is probably the biggest issue at the club right now. But he never mentions it. The games are the focus, everything else is secondary. He did the same when he was at Everton and there were financial problems. He bore the brunt of it.

"But takeover talk is irrelevant really for the players. We come to our work and the conditions here are the same now as they were two years ago. We have always been paid, our working conditions are good, we stay in nice hotels and any issues around the club have not affected us."

Weir was yesterday named Clydesdale Bank Player of the Month for February, recognition of the 39-year-old's remarkably consistent form for Rangers this season. The veteran has not ruled out another season at Ibrox.

"I would never say never about staying here for another year," he said. "I would be surprised, but you never know. I want to try and play on, as long as I'm not getting to the stage where I'm embarrassing myself or the club.

"I've thought about coaching, but part of the reason I've played as long as I have done is that I'll miss it when I retire."