Kris Boyd must weigh up lucrative move against legendary status says McCoist

• Kris Boyd's Ibrox contract expires at the end of the season. Picture: SNS

Boyd's contract expires at the end of the season, leaving him free to talk to other interested parties during the current transfer window. Rangers assistant manager McCoist admitted yesterday that the Ibrox club's present financial position leaves them unable to compete with the salary scales which may be on offer to the 26-year-old from potential suitors in England and Europe. So far, Middlesbrough and French side Sochaux have been most strongly linked with the player.

But McCoist believes Boyd's natural allegiance to Rangers and the opportunity to add to the silverware he has already won with the club will persuade him to sign the new contract currently being negotiated with his agent.

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"Financially, Kris would be better off moving," said McCoist. "I don't think I'm out of order saying that. Right now, he is only exercising his right to consider staying at the club or looking at other offers.

"He has the chance to earn a right few quid for himself. When I was playing for Rangers, it was different. We made a really good income which compared with England or elsewhere. Obviously it is different now.

"Kris has other things to think about. He has a young family to consider. His decision will come from the heart and the head. I don't know the finances of what the club has offered him, that's none of my business. Only he can make his choice, but a wee part of him will wonder if he could take his talent to England, France or wherever and be a success. It's a big decision to make, but I know he will make it in the knowledge that I don't want him to go and neither do the other coaches.

"I know Kris has genuine feelings for Rangers. He also has a great affinity with the fans and you have to take that into account. It's worth considering, because the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

"You can't put a price on becoming a Rangers legend. If Kris takes the Rangers avenue and it works out that way, it would be a fairytale for him and brilliant for everybody at the club."

McCoist was back in his home town of East Kilbride yesterday, formally opening a new 3.5 million sports complex which bears his name. During his 15 years as a Rangers player, McCoist scored a club record 355 goals to secure his own place in the Ibrox pantheon.

Boyd, currently on the 121-goal mark for Rangers, is perhaps the one player capable of threatening that landmark were he to remain at Ibrox for the rest of his career.

"Would I be happy to see him break the record?" smiled McCoist. "That's a cheeky question. But yes, if he stayed at Rangers, I'd be happy for him to break it. Because if he did, you would be guaranteed that Rangers were winning things. I would be thrilled, because it would mean we were winning just about everything.

"It would be unfair of me to say he will or won't do it, I'd never put that pressure on anyone else. What I will say is that in his own generation, he is the finest finisher around. There is no-one to compare with him when it comes to putting the ball in the net.

"Also, if you look at Kris now you see a different player from a year ago. His link-up play has been terrific, there has been a marked improvement in his ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play. His workrate has also improved. But he has made those improvements while retaining the most important aspect of his game, sticking the ball in the back of the net.

"The only person who deserves praise for that is Kris. He has worked his socks off and we are reaping the benefits. His form has been phenomenal and we want him to keep it going. I genuinely don't know if he will still be here after this season, but I'm forever hopeful."

It has been suggested Rangers might use Sporting Lisbon's interest in Pedro Mendes to fund an enhanced contract offer for Boyd. But while Mendes may consider a return to Portugal this month in a bid to secure his place in his country's squad for the World Cup finals in the summer, McCoist would prefer the midfielder to stay.

"Pedro is close to playing again after his injury," said McCoist. "I know he is happy here and I don't want any of our squad to leave. He obviously has great hopes of going to the World Cup and might have an opportunity to head back to Portugal. But I hope he doesn't take that chance."

McCoist, meanwhile, has urged Kyle Lafferty to kick-start his Rangers career in 2010 after the Northern Ireland international again attracted negative headlines with his poor challenge on Celtic full-back Andreas Hinkel in Sunday's Old Firm game.

"Kyle was extremely lucky to stay on the park," said McCoist. "It was daft more than malicious, but Kyle has his dafter moments. We have to take responsibility for Kyle's form since he came to Rangers as we have often played him out of position through necessity. But it's all a learning experience and 2010 is a big year for him."