Smith set to quit Rangers

Smith: Frustrated at Ibrox

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Rangers defender Steven Smith is ready to quit Ibrox at the end of the season due to a lack of first-team football.

The 24-year-old has been offered a one-year contract extension but is frustrated by his limited opportunities with the Scottish champions.

Rangers have named Smith in their first XI in the last two matches due to the injury-enforced absence of Sasa Papac, however, the first-choice left-back is set to return for Wednesday's trip to Motherwell.

Smith is therefore expected to drop to the bench and he is also ready to snub a new deal and possible pay rise in order to move elsewhere in the summer.

He told the Daily Record: "The club have offered me a year's extension but Walter Smith knows what my answer will be and it has nothing to do with money.

Difficult

"It's because I want to play. In an ideal world, I want to stay at Rangers but playing nine or 10 games a season won't help my career.

"I wasn't disappointed with the offer. In fact, I was surprised they offered me anything at all.

"It will be difficult to move on. But I need to be playing every week."

Smith confesses that the success of Rangers is a reason to stay but he is ready to move and wants to leave after winning the domestic Treble.

"There's a temptation to stay for another year. Will I end up anywhere like this, where I'm playing at Hampden and going for titles? That's the stuff that makes you want to stay," he added.

"But it looks like I'll be moving and the Treble will be the perfect way to end it."