Rangers boss Walter Smith expects his players to reap the benefits of an extended summer break thanks to avoiding the qualifying rounds of the Champions League. "We've had as long a pre-season as many of the players have had for a great number of years," he said.

"It's been close to six weeks' break, which everyone has enjoyed. But it makes the pre-season training even more important.

"Last season, we had a very short pre-season break. This time, everybody looks quite refreshed and we get ourselves up and running now."