Rangers manager Walter Smith hopes winning the Clydesdale Bank Premier League means he will be able to retain the services of his best players ahead of next season.

Smith was faced with the prospect of losing key personnel back in January when the club admitted they could be forced to offload their top assets in a bid to balance the books.

"What it gives us now is the choice of what's going to happen rather than being at the mercy of people coming in," said Smith.

Birmingham failed in a bid to sign top goalscorer Kris Boyd when the move collapsed over personal terms and Alex McLeish recently refused to rule out making a fresh bid for the striker as he prepares for life in the Barclays Premier League next season.

Madjid Bougherra and Pedro Mendes could also be targeted over the summer after impressing in their debut campaigns at Ibrox.

But success in the SPL means Champions League football, and a £10million windfall, is guaranteed and Smith no longer expects to be at the mercy of other clubs when deciding which players have a future at Rangers.

He added: "That's the one good thing about the automatic qualification for the Champions League and the money that comes along with it.

"Now we hopefully can have a choice in who leaves rather than be dependant on somebody coming in and offering money for players.

"Obviously the influx of money from the Champions League is a big thing as everybody knows.

"So hopefully, once we sit down and talk about that situation, it can help alleviate quite a few of the problems we were going to have."