Source: Team_Talk
Smith keen to nail down Gers spot
Smith feared he would never play for the club again after spending most of the season kicking his heels in frustration on the sidelines.[LNB]The 23-year-old was hailed as a promising young left-back with a big future at the Glasgow giants until a recurring pelvic problem robbed him of two years in the game.[LNB]But, as far as Smith is concerned, the months spent fully fit and knowing he was not part of the manager's plans for the majority of the current campaign was much harder to take than time spent on the treatment table.[LNB]He was thrown an unexpected lifeline earlier this month when an horrendous injury list saw him thrust back into the spotlight with a surprise starting role in the 3-1 win against Motherwell, and he featured again in last week's 3-2 victory over Hibernian.[LNB]Smith, speaking ahead of Saturday's Homecoming Scottish Cup semi-final against St Mirren, now fully intends to stake a claim for a future at Rangers.[LNB]"I think I have to if I want to stay here," he admitted.[LNB]"Every time I play, I have to play out of my skin and be involved as much as possible and use it to my advantage to try to earn a place here.[LNB]"I'd been thinking there was maybe no way back for the majority of the season to be honest with you.[LNB]"I had the chance to go on loan at the start of the season and spoke to the manager and thought if I stayed and had a good pre-season, I would have the chance to play again.[LNB]"But that didn't materialise. I just thought I'd never get the chance to play for Rangers again but I have and I'm thankful for that."[LNB]He added: "I've been fit for the majority of the season. It's just that I was playing for the reserves every week and never featuring at the weekend.[LNB]"I just had to work really hard at training and be patient and wait for a chance. I've got a chance now and it's up to me to take it.[LNB]"There are a lot of players here going through the same thing, not being involved and not playing. That's the most difficult side.[LNB]"It was harder to take when I was actually fit and not playing because when you're injured, you're not available for selection and there is nothing you can do about it.[LNB]"But when you are fit and training every day, that's the hardest part to take."[LNB]Smith's latest involvement in the first team has seen him switched from full-back to left midfield and he is relishing a role which is not exactly unfamiliar.[LNB]"I'm really enjoying it," he said.[LNB]"It's not a new position for me but I think to many people it may look as though it's new.[LNB]"I've played there before for the reserves and one of my first games in the Rangers team under Alex McLeish was at left midfield so it's nothing new to me."[LNB]Smith's most recent outing for Rangers before his surprise recall for the visit of Motherwell this month was last season's Scottish Cup semi-final against St Johnstone.[LNB]He now hopes to make a far more positive impact at Hampden this time around at the same stage of the same competition.[LNB]"I'm really looking forward to it," he said.[LNB]"It's a cup semi-final and it's always massive to get to a final.[LNB]"I was at the game when we played St Mirren a few weeks ago in the league and I think we played really well in the first half.[LNB]"But in the second half, they showed a determination to come back into the game and I thought they played really well.[LNB]"I watched a bit of their game against Motherwell last week. Again, they did well and they will be confident going into the game.[LNB]"Playing at Hampden might be a new thing for some of them but that could give them a boost as well."[LNB]Unsurprisingly, Smith identified Andy Dorman - who has been linked with both Rangers and Celtic - as the key man for Saints this weekend.[LNB]"You have to watch him," he said.[LNB]"When you score that many goals from midfield and make the runs that he does, then that is someone who has got to be watched.[LNB]"I'm sure the manager and Coisty will have a word before the game and make sure that we are aware of that."[LNB]Ticket sales for both semi-finals have been disappointing so far but Smith insisted: "When you are there, it's a semi-final, it's the chance to get to a final and win a trophy.[LNB]"At Rangers, the most important thing is winning trophies and that's what we will be looking to do - get to a final and win another trophy."[LNB][LNB]
