Rangers must act or face a player exodus, warns Kris Boyd

Boyd is yet to decide whether to sign an extension to his contract at Ibrox, which will expire this summer. The prolific marksman yesterday reiterated he will wait until the end of the season to decide where his future lies but said the uncertainty relating to the potential sale of Sir David Murray's 92 per cent Rangers shareholding must end for the good of the club.

The worst case scenario, Boyd admits, is that no buyer is forthcoming for Murray's shares in the near future. "We don't even have a manager under contract for next season – or a coaching staff," said the former Kilmarnock player.

"I've always said there are more important things that need to happen at Rangers than Kris Boyd. There's the gaffer, the staff and a number of players. Walter Smith is on the verge of another title so they'd be better getting him sorted.

"There has been that uncertainty over Ibrox for a couple of years. There are aspects that must be addressed.

"If it drags on much further then eventually you will get a team breaking up and people leaving. I don't think people want that to happen."

Boyd, heavily linked with a move to Birmingham City, added when pressed on the likelihood of a change to the off-field issues: "There's a big decision to be made on what happens to Rangers

in terms of the club's own future.

"I've not had a hint from the club that the takeover will happen. I am just thinking about it from what I read and hear. Hopefully that can happen for Rangers to give some stability.

"There are people interested in buying the club, but I don't know what stage they are at."

With the days ebbing away before Boyd's contract runs out, he was keen to stress that he has more pressing concerns.

The striker, who was yesterday named on the shortlist for the Cheque Centre PFA Scotland Player of the Year award, is first and foremost focused on securing the championship and netting his elusive 100th Scottish Premier League goal for Rangers.

Rangers moved 11 points clear of Celtic on Wednesday night but their goalless draw at Tannadice failed to guarantee the chance to clinch the title at Ibrox on Sunday against Hearts.

That scenario could still materialise if Celtic fail to beat Hibernian tomorrow, but the likelihood is that Rangers will have to earn a result in one of their subsequent three consecutive away games, against Hibernian, Dundee United or Celtic.

"When you go to most teams in the SPL, they make it hard for you," Boyd said. "And at this stage of the season, they don't want a title party on their ground.

"It would have been nice if we had won last night and have the chance to wrap it up on Sunday.

"It would be good, but that would mean Celtic dropping points on Saturday, which I can't see. And we need to beat Hearts on Sunday, which will be a hard game.

"We want it tied up as quickly as we can, but we know we still have a couple of games to go."

Boyd scored his 99th SPL goal for Rangers in a 3-0 victory over Hibs on Valentine's Day, but his three goals since have all come in the Scottish Cup.

The 26-year-old admits he may have rushed himself back too quickly from hernia surgery in January, but he feels he is now in good shape as he seeks to complete a century of league goals since his arrival at Ibrox in January 2006.

"I'll hopefully get there before the end of the season," said Boyd, who has netted 24 goals in all competitions. "It's just a matter of getting into the right positions and hopefully I can get the break in the next couple of weeks.

"It has just been bad finishing from me. And the team has not really been playing that well.

"We've been grinding out results and I've been part of that team that has not really been at the top of their game from just after the turn of the year. I've struggled to get back to what I was before my injury. I was maybe back a little bit early, but I just wanted to pull on that jersey and get playing again, it's just the way I am.

"I feel as if, after the rest I've had last week and the few days off that I had, that I'm hopefully ready to finish the season on a high, get that 100th goal and win the league championship for Rangers."

Former Rangers manager Dick Advocaat unexpectedly quit as Belgium coach last night, almost five months before the start of the 2012 European Championship qualifying campaign for which the Dutchman was hired.

His resignation opens the way for the successful coach to join Russia.

Advocaat only took the Belgium job in October. Unexpectedly, he added the job of coaching AZ Alkmaar in December. A few months later came rumours he was discussing the Russia job.