McLeish is braced for an emotional Ibrox farewell

ALEX McLeish has so far pushed his own feelings to one side as he attempts to secure Champions League football next season as his final act as Rangers manager. But he admits it will be an emotional experience when he stands in the Ibrox dugout for the final time on Sunday.

Whether he heads into that game still in a position to catch their last-day opponents, Hearts, in the race for second place in the Bank of Scotland Premierleague, depended on the outcome of last night's match at Tynecastle. But whether that prize is still up for grabs or not, it will be far from a meaningless end-of-season fixture for McLeish as he prepares to bow out.

"I'm sure it will be emotional," he said. "It has been a fantastic time for me. Four-and-a-half years at Rangers, if you had told me that on the first day I would have laughed at you. I managed to survive, in no small way down to getting some silverware and achieving in Europe."

McLeish has spent the last few months knowing he will make way for former Lyon coach Paul Le Guen at the end of what has been a tumultuous season for Rangers.

An horrendous run of results, which saw them languish as low as fifth in the SPL at one stage, almost cost McLeish his job. Instead, he was given a stay of execution and he insists his own pride would not allow him walk away from the job at that time.

He added: "It was a hairy spell for us when there was speculation about the job. The chairman kept faith in me in the knowledge that we could get into the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time for a Scottish club. I'm glad that I stayed on because there was a spell when I thought 'I don't need this' but I could not have lived with myself if I had walked away from Rangers in fifth place and not yet qualified for the Champions League. Anyone who knows me, knows the character, and I don't walk away from challenges like that. I would have felt embarrassed by that."

A 2-1 victory over Hibernian on Tuesday night kept Rangers' slim hopes of Champions League football alive but the win came at a cost.

Ian Murray suffered an eye wound following a clash of heads, which required stitches, while Kris Boyd is suffering from a blistered toe.

It was Boyd who netted both goals and McLeish is confident the striker will declare himself fit for what could be a make-or- break game this weekend.

"We hope he will be okay for Sunday," he said. "I'm sure it will be tender. It's like a blister that has burst and was bleeding at half-time.

"He should be okay. I'm sure Boydy, the character that he is, will be desperate to play if it really means something for us."

Boyd, who cost Rangers £400,000 in a January move from Kilmarnock, has netted 35 goals in total this season and McLeish added: "He has been incredible when you think of the players who have come to the club and struggled and sometimes never cemented themselves as Rangers players. Boyd has done that, he's hit the ground running and has got to be up there with my top signings."

Taken from the Scotsman