Wilson earns high praise from Smith

Rangers manager Walter Smith has compared Danny Wilson to a young David Narey and admits even he was surprised by how well the youngster handled his promotion to the first team.

Wilson made his senior debut in last week's Co-operative Insurance Cup win at Dundee and impressed enough to retain his place for the Clydesdale Bank Premier League game against Dundee United.

"I was surprised, not just by the way Danny Wilson played, but by how he handled the overall situation," admitted Smith. "I was fortunate at Dundee United to have David Narey and he is a similar type of player to him and has a similar attitude."

Smith then made the decision to hand the teenager his bow in the Champions League when he partnered David Weir in the heart of defence as Rangers earned a 1-1 draw with Unirea Urziceni in Bucharest on Wednesday.

Rather than being fazed by the occasion, Wilson stole the show with one of the top performances of the night and is now expected to make his first Ibrox appearance against St Mirren on Saturday.

For Smith, the comparisons with Narey are obvious. The defensive lynchpin of the successful Dundee United team of the 1980s, Narey was also just 17 when he made the breakthrough to senior football.

Smith added: "He didn't look fazed by it at all and there were no great signs of nervousness in the first few games he has had.

"If he can have as good a career as David Narey had, then we will all be happy.

"We are delighted by the manner in which he has played. He has shown he has been able to progress from youth football into the first team.

"I was hoping he would get a few games this season and it's looking as though, if he continues to play in the manner he has done, he will get a lot more than I envisaged at the start of the season."