FORMER Rangers striker Kris Boyd has called on Rangers chairman Dave King to keep his word and invest in the club.

The Kilmarnock striker who last summer hit back at King after he said the players had "failed miserably" last season said the club should act or they risk losing their manager Mark Warburton.

The Rangers supremo said in May that he expected to invest more than £20 million of his own money in Rangers after reiterating that £30 million is required for the club to compete at the top level.

The Herald:

The South Africa-based businessman spelt out his objectives after being cleared by the Scottish FA to become a director.

The cash injection so far has been in the form of loans, which will convert to shares in Rangers International Football Club plc.

In March, a new emergency loan was provided by associates of King followed in May by a further £1.5 million loan through the South Africa-based businessman's New Oasis Asset Limited company.

Earlier this month, Rangers took out a fresh £6.5 million loan from associates  of King most of which was aimed at paying off a £5 million emergency loan provided by Mike Ashley's Sports Direct in January, 2015.

The Herald:

Boyd said: "I can understand the things he’s said at the beginning to try and get the fans back on side and appease them.

"The fans are everything at that club, they’ve stuck by the club through thick and thin and the thing is when they’re being told they’re getting players in, they’ll make sure they get players in," he said.

"They’re paying good money every week.

"If there’s no money there then I don’t understand why the statements were made in the first place.

"If there’s money there, then you’re going to have to back the manager.

"If you don’t, you might find a successful manager coming up here, turning the whole club about, leaving because if you’re given false promises, why would you stay?"

The Scottish Premiership's record scorer, who was one of 11 players released by Rangers after the club's failure to win promotion to the Ladbrokes Premiership last season told STV: "The big thing is that Rangers have got a massive rebuilding process underway right now, in which the board stated they were going to back the manager and do this and do that.

"So I think forget what’s happened in the past, look at the present and the present is go and back your manager, give him the money to strengthen the squad to cope when they come up.

"I think when you put yourself in that position, if you’re not going to do it then I don’t see why you open your mouth and say you would do it."

The 32-year-old front man, who denies he was annoyed by King's performance comments added: "It doesn’t play on my mind but I know what was said and I won’t forget it.

"I know last year I wasn’t good enough. Did I deserve to stay? No, because I wasn’t good enough.

"At the same time, we leave it in the past and there was no need to go on and on about it."

Immediately after King and his associates achieved a landslide victory to control the Rangers boardroom he talked about raising more than £20 million in investment in the short to medium term.

In June when launching the club's season ticket renewals, the Rangers chairman said "over-investment" may be necessary in the following season for the club to be able to get into the Scottish Premiership.

But he said it investment would depend on the commercial arrangements, season ticket uptake and whether the club pays the £5 million loan.

"The investment must be whatever it takes to win the league and build a squad we believe can substantially take us forward to the following season."

Dave King outlined his vision for the future of Rangers as he launched season ticket renewals for season 2015/16

Rangers declined to comment on Boyd's comments.