Walter had that in abundance.ĭuring Walter’s first stint as Rangers manager there had been some big personalities in the Ibrox dressing room, none more so than Paul Gascoigne.
Michael O’Neill would probably be the only other manager who really got the best out of Kyle.Īnd it comes down to brilliant man-management, a cool head and experience. Walter knew how to handle the Northern Ireland international, who could - and can be - a bit mad, crazy and unpredictable at times.Īs we’ve witnessed down the years, not every manager can deal with Kyle’s antics. Kyle undoubtedly played the best football of his career under Walter Smith. They helped Rangers land silverware, especially the final-day hat-trick against Kilmarnock to continue Walter’s incredible dominance of the Scottish game. The technique and execution were impressive, but so was the significance.
Towards the end, goals scored by Kyle Lafferty were prominent. It was around eight minutes of Walter’s greatest achievements as he led the Gers to 21 major trophies and some amazing nights at Ibrox. Following the announcement of Walter Smith’s passing last Tuesday, Rangers produced a wonderful tribute video to their hugely successful late manager on their social media channels.
