KRIS BOYD today warned Rangers that Saturday's Old Firm showdown is a must-win match for Walter Smith's side.

The on-fire striker - who scored his 18th goal of the season against Hibs at the weekend - knows that the Ibrox side can ill afford Celtic to pull further away from them with a win.

And while he has maintained that the league will neither be won nor lost regardless of the outcome of this game, Boyd knows that slipping up against Celtic would leave Rangers with a mountain to climb.

To adopt the language of the dressing room, the high-noon meeting is the proverbial six-pointer, with Celtic able to go seven points clear or else be pegged back to just one point.

"I think it is obvious to everyone that this is one we think we really have to win," said the SPL's top scorer, who today celebrated his third anniversary as a Rangers player.

"Getting three points would put us in a decent position in terms of the league, but psychologically it would be another big win for us too.

"But if we do win it, or even if we lose it, I still don't think you could come out and say it was all over for either of us.

"Look at what has happened this month and the points that have been dropped by both teams. We are only half-way through the season and I think last season shouldn't be too far away from people's minds.

"Winning is what we always go out to do and Saturday will be no different in that respect. I think we feel confidence as a team and as an individual I feel good.

"It always helps when you are scoring goals, but it is just about working to keep my place in the team just now."

Celtic's record of one win in six at Ibrox since Gordon Strachan took over does not make for happy reading for the Parkhead support.

Boyd, though, pays little heed to the stats. "Things like that don't matter to players," he shrugged. "It is obviously good that we have a decent record here against Celtic, but to be fair we are a very strong side at Ibrox and we've not been beaten in well over a year here.

"But that counts for nothing when the games get going. It won't matter a jot to Celtic and I can't imagine it will affect them at all."

Boyd hasn't featured in any of the last five Old Firm games and has scored just once against Celtic in his career at Killie and Rangers.

He does, not, however, feel under any additional pressure going into Saturday's game.

"I have nothing to prove to anyone," he said. "I am happy enough with the goals I have scored this season, but there is still more to come from me. Whether or not I score against Celtic doesn't matter. "