Ally McCoist would welcome Walter Smith back at Rangers

Earlier this week Ibrox chief executive Charles Green offered an open invitation to Smith, who managed Rangers when they dominated Scottish football in the 1990s, to return to the club in an advisory role.

Green has held several meetings with Smith, and said: “I’d like to get him on the board or as an advisor. Rangers need people who understand football.”

And current Rangers manager McCoist, who was assistant to Smith during his second spell at Ibrox, has backed Green’s stance, and insists he would not feel undermined by the presence of his former boss.

“It’s a no-brainer if you can get someone of Walter’s respect and history and everything that he has brought to our football club and indeed Scottish football,” McCoist said.

“But he has not listened to me for a number of years, never listened to me, and I don’t suppose he will now.”

McCoist added: “I speak to Walter on a very regular basis. But I think the one thing Walter has earned is the time and the opportunity to do what he is doing at the moment, whether that’s spend more time with the grandkids and Ethel, and maybe golf or going on holiday. I don’t think anyone can grudge him that.

“But I assume Walter knows the door of this football club is absolutely open to him.

“It would be a no-brainer for me, the club and certainly for Charles and I think it would be a no-brainer for the support but I don’t think he deserves to be put under any pressure.”

The 64-year-old retired in May 2011, just before Craig Whyte’s ill-fated takeover, and was himself involved in a consortium which failed to buy the club from Green in the summer.