WALTER SMITH plans to quit football when his contract at Rangers expires in just over two years' time.

The 60-year-old stands on the verge of the club's finest ever season and, while he knows football can never be entirely predictable, he has no plans to move anywhere else.

Smith left the Scotland National post 16 months ago to return to Ibrox after, ironically, handing the club to Dick Advocaat back in 1998.

But when asked about his long- term plan, Smith smiled: "My plan is to finish here when the three- and-a-half-year contract I signed runs out, but then you never know what can happen after that.

"I would need to sit down with a certain lady first and try to discuss that. But my ambition is to finish here.

"If the team was doing exceptionally well then I would look at maybe staying on, but you always need to wait and see what the circumstances are."

Smith was adamant when probed on whether he felt he would tarnish his legacy from the first time around by coming back to pick up the pieces left by Paul Le Guen.

He insisted: "It would take a hell of an ego to be looking at it that way. Why should you be afraid of the challenge and what might have happened before, whether good, bad or indifferent?

"I don't think anybody should be afraid of that challenge. I never came back to fail - but I wasn't afraid of failing or the reflections on you of doing so.

"That aspect never really bothered me. I never had that kind of ego."

There is, however, a scenario that the only way would be down if Rangers were to win the last six games of the season and land an unprecedented Quadruple.

Smith agreed: "It had occurred to me. In my own mind, I can make a few changes next season to make them a better, even more entertaining team, dare I say, but we may still not achieve what we have achieved this season.

"That's football. If you accept a challenge with a fear of failing you will achieve nothing."