The furore prompted by Walter Smith's last birthday left one ever so slightly surprised that the Rangers manager had not received a telegram from the Queen. Smith, however, was merely celebrating his 60th birthday rather than becoming a centenarian.

There may have been gasps at a West of Scotland man living to qualify for a bus pass. They should be ignored in Smith's case.

He is still a strong, vital presence at Ibrox. He is likely to remain so. Much of the comment after the Old Firm match on Saturday was how it would impact on Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager. This is a legitimate line of inquiry but Smith's prospects are also intriguing.

Rangers have won one trophy and are within touching distance of Smith's ultimate goal, the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

The route to the Scottish Cup is paved with Partick Thistle, St Johnstone and, probably, Aberdeen.

Sporting Lisbon provide a more substantial barrier to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. This state of play is far beyond what Smith envisaged when he took over at Ibrox 15 months ago.

The strategy, apparently agreed between Smith and Sir David Murray, was to repair some holes in the defence, steady the ship and hold out for refurbishment this summer.

The Ibrox support would be provided with evidence of a narrowing gap between Rangers and Celtic. A cup, perhaps, would be won and the fans would have the promise of better days.

Smith, frankly, is astonished at how far Rangers have progressed. The title was not on his agenda last August. He had severe doubts as late as the turn of the year that his team could prevail in the long haul.

The defeat at Hearts, in particular, gave him cause for concern over his team's resilience and over the depth of his squad. These have been dispelled by a series of performances that have led to progress on four fronts.

Instead of merely repairing the damage of the Paul Le Guen era, Smith now can reflect on a season that has offered surprises, most of them pleasant.

The look on the Rangers manager's face after the 3-0 win over Olympique Lyonnais in October at the Stade Gerland was priceless. It was as if he had been a victim of a wind-up of Candid Camera proportions.

Surely this motley crew could not have beaten an authentic Champions League side, he might have asked. But they did. And only a month after the mauling at Tynecastle.

The rise has been inexorable since. There have been disappointments for the support in the Champions League but not for Smith.

He was glad to leave the battles with the champions of France and Germany, plus Barcelona, without a confidence-shattering "doing". It was why he persisted with 4-1-4-1 after Rangers quickly went two goals behind at the Camp Nou.

He now stands on the threshold of remarkable success. But what will follow? There have been mutterings that Smith will move upstairs to leave Ally McCoist in charge with Ian Durrant and Kenny McDowall as assistants.

This will not happen in the summer. Smith will stay on to strengthen the squad. If he goes prematurely, and that would be a huge surprise, McCoist will miss out as he is not thought ready to take the job at the moment. His turn will come if Smith continues to be successful.

The Rangers manager will spend the summer attempting to buy a central defender to replace David Weir, a midfielder to complement Barry Ferguson and a striking partnership he can trust. Partnership? Smith is likely to revert to a 4-4-2 formation in most games if he can find forwards to suit. Kenny Miller, of Derby County, plus AN Other is one option.

Smith, meanwhile, adopts a pose of studied indifference. This leads some observers to believe that he is keen to spend more time with his grandchildren.

However, the leap in the Ibrox stand at the final whistle on Saturday was the reaction of a man who knows he is within sight of one goal. And wants more.