Ally McCoist sets deadline for Rangers to be competing with Celtic domestically – and it isn’t ‘three to five years’

Rangers legend Ally McCoist has urged his former club to challenge Celtic for top domestic honors long before the “three to five years” suggested by ex-chairman Sir David Murray.

Murray, the club’s former owner, recently told fans to be patient with the new leadership during an exclusive interview with SunSport’s Roger Hannah. However, McCoist knows the Ibrox faithful won’t wait forever—and has warned new manager Russell Martin, along with co-owners Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises, that Rangers must close the gap on Celtic much sooner.

Celtic have won the last four consecutive league titles and are aiming for a full decade of dominance. When Celtic supporter and TalkSPORT host Alan Brazil mocked Rangers’ initial £20m investment as “not a lot,” McCoist agreed—but pointed out that money stretches further in Scotland than in England.

“The former chairman is right about the new owners,” McCoist said. “You can see how they’ve managed Leeds—taking their time, not overspending. They had great success last season, and I think Rangers fans would happily take that. But I’d 100% expect us to be competing with Celtic well before three to five years.”

He acknowledged Celtic’s current superiority, noting their 17-point title win last season and strong Champions League showings—but stressed that Rangers must improve domestically. “Europe is a bonus right now,” he said. “The priority is getting back to regularly challenging Celtic.”

Brazil, however, issued a final warning, referencing Celtic’s majority shareholder Dermot Desmond: “He could write a £20m cheque from his petty cash if he wanted—but he doesn’t. Celtic generate their own money, but if needed, he’ll step in.”