Source: Team_Talk
Smith calls for Webster patience
Injury and suspension problems mean the defender will be in the squad for Sunday's SPL game against Hearts.
Webster had a spell on loan at Bristol City in the first half of the season but Smith warned any return to the Rangers first team could take time.
He said: "His career hasn't gone the way he would have wanted it to go and that has mainly been down to injury.
"He's missed most of my time here in terms of injury.
"He has been fit for the last few months but the period of time that he has been out - which was two years - means it will take him time to get back in and involved with the squad.
"Sometimes it takes a bit of time to get started again, plus the fact he is coming back into the team at a time when everyone else has been playing and the season is in full swing."
Steven Smith made a dramatic return to the top team last month after spending the season so far kicking his heels on the sidelines.
But Smith said: "Steven is a slightly different one in the sense that he has been playing [reserves games] for most of this season.
"He missed a couple of years prior to that and was a bit ahead of Andy Webster.
"When we had the injury problems recently, he was able to come in and play in a slightly further forward position to his usual position at left-back.
"He has played very well for us and the team's results have been good.
"He, along with Andrius Velicka, has taken advantage of a situation which doesn't crop up that often."
Meanwhile, Hearts striker Calum Elliot insists removing the fear factor from facing the Old Firm on their own turf will be key if they want to seal a rare victory over Rangers at Ibrox.
Elliot, named the Clydesdale Bank Premier League young player of the month for April, helped spark a turn around in his team's fortunes the last time the sides met in March.
Coming on as a half-time substitute, he inspired the Gorgie men to recover from a two-goal deficit to clinch a morale-boosting 2-2 draw.
And the former Scotland Under-21 international believes Csaba Laszlo's third-placed outfit cannot afford to "freeze" with apprehension as they did on that occasion.
He said: "I wouldn't say there's no fear facing the Old Firm because they have a lot of quality players. Even the players that aren't playing would probably walk into most SPL sides.
"But if you went there and feared them then you would probably freeze and I think that's probably what we did in the first-half at Ibrox the last time.
"We've just got to try and go there with the attitude we are going to get something out of the game and if we can get three points it would be massive for us."
Another crucial factor in Sunday's match could be the form of Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who is fresh from scoring his 100th goal for the Ibrox club in the Homecoming Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren.
Elliot added: "You can only look up to somebody like Kris Boyd, with the number of goals he scores each season.
"You're just hoping he has a bit of an off-day against us and hopefully we can keep him quiet."
