EXCLUSIVE: Kris Boyd urges Rangers’ new owners to prioritize domestic dominance, calling European success a ‘bonus’
Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has delivered a clear message to the incoming ownership group at Ibrox, insisting the focus must shift back to domestic success, with European competitions viewed as secondary.
The ex-Scotland international reflected on the dramatic shift in fortunes between the Old Firm rivals, admitting it’s been “tough” to watch Celtic surpass Rangers in the trophy count — a scenario he once thought unlikely. Rangers held the lead in major honours for more than nine decades until Celtic caught up by winning the Scottish Cup final last season. This year, the Parkhead side edged ahead, claiming the League Cup on penalties and sealing the Scottish Premiership title, pulling two clear of their rivals. They now have a chance to complete a domestic treble when they face Aberdeen in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.
Boyd, who helped add six trophies to the Rangers’ cabinet during his playing days, recalled how the club once stood on 115 major honours in 2012 when it was demoted to the fourth tier. Since then, the Light Blues have only added three trophies, while Celtic have amassed 26, including drawing level on 55 league titles.
Speaking to topratedbingosites, Boyd said:
“When I was playing, I couldn’t see this happening. But credit to Celtic — they’ve consistently found a way to win. Trophies aren’t easy to come by, and they’ve done it over a sustained period.”
He acknowledged the pain Rangers fans have felt watching their club fall behind, saying:
“Rangers were well ahead, but now Celtic are out in front and look poised to extend that with the Cup final coming up.”
As Rangers’ top scorer in the SPFL era with 138 goals across two spells, Boyd expressed concern about the club’s direction since returning to the top flight in 2017. They’ve only managed one league title, one Scottish Cup, and one League Cup in that time.
He emphasized the need to rebuild a squad that can consistently challenge for league and cup honours, and warned that recent European ambitions may have come at the cost of domestic progress.
Although Rangers enjoyed a memorable run to the Europa League final in 2022 and reached the quarter-finals this season, Boyd stressed that European success should not overshadow domestic priorities.
“Fans have loved the big European nights, but winning trophies there is extremely tough,” he said. “The club must focus on winning again in Scotland. Celtic have raised the bar — now Rangers need a proper structure, a strong manager, and an ownership group that’s fully committed to competing for every domestic title. This decline has to stop.”
With the 49ers Enterprises-led takeover nearing completion, all eyes are now on how the new regime will respond to Boyd’s rallying cry.
