ALAN HUTTON made the right decision turning down the chance to join Spurs last week after the White Hart Lane club tabled an £8m offer. But I would not be in the slightest bit surprised to see the Rangers right back move in the summer to another club, in England or elsewhere in Europe.

Despite being at Ibrox since his youth days, it is only in the last 12 months or so that the 23-year-old has blossomed into the exciting player he is today.

Hutton has done well for himself and has earned the chance to move down to one of the biggest leagues in the world and double or even triple his wages.

But when the offer came in, I am sure he said to himself: "I'm playing regularly for the first team, I am involved in Europe, my family is happy and settled. Do I really want to move?"

Their 2-0 win over Dundee United on Saturday took Rangers back on top of the SPL, and I think they are now the favourites to win the title. Keep it going is task for Walter WALTER Smith must get 10 out of 10 on my DJ report card at the end of his first year back in charge of Rangers.

The Ibrox club were just about down and out when he returned to take over from Paul Le Guen. Under the Frenchman, they were going nowhere.

Walter has had a massive rebuilding job in those 12 months. He has shipped out 16 players and has had to bring in just as many.

His signings, unlike many of those made by his predecessor, have been excellent.

Somehow he has got the club back to a position where they are challenging for trophies and, most importantly, the title once again.

Perhaps the only disappointment of his time in charge is Rangers' failure to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League this season.

They started off magnificently with wins over Stuttgart and Lyon and a draw with the mighty Barcelona. Perhaps they should have done better.

Having said that, to finish in third place in a group that included the champions of France and Germany, as well as Barcelona, was an achievement of sorts.

Rangers are still in Europe after Christmas and they have a February home and away date with Greek side Panathinaikos, and they must have a good chance of going on a run in the Uefa Cup.

But the most important thing for me is that they have done well in the league and are in with a good shout of winning the SPL title this season.

Walter, as well as his assistants Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall, deserve a lot of praise for turning around Rangers' fortunes.

The trick now is to keep it going.

I am sure Alan, after only one good season, feels it is just a little bit too soon to depart. January is not the best time to move, either.

Some players are real home birds, too. His contract at Rangers will be renegotiated and he will become one of the top earners at Ibrox.

He might well be happy with that, but his attitude may all change at the end of the season.

I certainly think he is good enough to win a move to one of the top four clubs in England - Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Man United.

He is the first Scot we have been able to say that about in a fair few years. Others who have moved south have gone to lesser clubs.

If another offer comes in at the end of the season from a bigger club - and I am sure the Spurs bid has made a few interested parties sit up and take notice - then he may decide to go.

The offer last week did not give Alan an awful long time to think about things.

He will have more time to reflect on his future in the coming months.

Everybody at Rangers is delighted Alan decided to stay. But they were quite right to accept the offer of £8m plus add-ons. That is not the sort of sum they could turn down.

I don't think the speculation about Alan's future will affect his performances between now and the end of the season. In fact, it could help his game.

He knows Spurs, and other clubs around Europe, are keeping tabs on him and he will be determined to give them some food for thought.

Alan is suspended for the rescheduled league game against St Mirren at Love Street tonight and he will be a big miss for Walter Smith's side.

Make no mistake, this game in Paisley will not be a walkover for Rangers. Scotland's top-flight clubs no longer fear the Old Firm the way they used to.

There is one word that is key for both of the Old Firm clubs between now and the end of the season - attitude.

If Celtic and Rangers go into games with the right attitude they have more ability than their opponents and should prevail. If they don't, then they will drop points. Simple as that.

St Mirren have been struggling lately, particularly at home.

But they moved above Hearts to third bottom spot with a 2-1 win over Hibs at home at the weekend.

Remember, this is a team who were just nine minutes away from beating Celtic at Parkhead not that long ago. Rangers are going to have to play well tomorrow night to take three points.

If they do win they will stretch their lead at the top of the table to four points and that gives them a very nice cushion to work with.

That is not a situation anybody could have envisaged a few weeks ago, when Celtic were comfortably clear at the top of the table.

Psychologically, then, Rangers players will get a massive lift if they can beat St Mirren tonight. Offload Cousin if heart is not in it

WHEN Daniel Cousin first arrived at Rangers I thought he looked like a fantastic signing.

He was energetic, he put himself about and he scored goals.

The game that summed him up best for me was Lyon away. He was immense in the 3-0 win over the French champions in his homeland.

But after that match it emerged that he had a clause in his contract that allowed him to move on if a club made an offer of £3million or more for him.

Since then, he has hardly kicked a ball for Walter Smith's side.

But in the last couple of weeks, against Hibs and then Dundee United, he has been much better.

This could, of course, be because he is looking to win a move away.

If that is the case then it would be a good bit of business to sell him. There is no point holding onto a player who doesn't want to play for Rangers.