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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

Ally McCoist delivers stunning Walter Smith words as he shares his brilliant Rangers tribute dream

Ally McCoist has called for the whole of the Ibrox area to be renamed "Smithsville", as he delivered another touching tribute to Walter Smith.

The legendary manager sadly passed away this week leading to an outpouring of emotion from Rangers followers and football lovers across the world of football.

McCoist, who played under Smith at Ibrox and also worked as his assistant, has led the tributes to his close friend.

On BT Sport's Scottish Football Extra, he admitted the news of Smith's passing was still settling in.

McCoist delivered more stunning words about the Scottish football icon.

He said: "It's still hard to take in, it's heartbreaking.

"If we are all feeling this way it's hard to imagine what Ethel and the boys are feeling like. It's them who my immediate thoughts are with.

"A great family man was the gaffer, but he was so much to so many people, myself included.

"I went through the range. He was my coach, my assistant coach, my manager. I worked under him at the national team and at Rangers.

"I said at the time he was like my second father, and he was like my second father, and then he turned into one of my best mates.

"I went through 40 years of my life with him, and I was blessed to spend some incredible times with him in football and away from football. "

A giant of the game, talk immediately began on how to memorialise Smith at Ibrox Stadium with some calling for a statue.

Darrell Currie suggested that a stand could be renamed in honour of the former Scotland and Everton manager.

McCoist quipped: "I'd name the district after him.

"I would change Ibrox, the area, to Smithsville. That is what I would do.

"It starts here, it has to be changed to Smithsville."

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