Bad boy Boyd Banned

Rangers leading scorer Kris Boyd is out of Sunday's Co-Operative Cup Final with Celtic after being sent home from training by Walter Smith.

The Rangers boss read the riot act to Boyd after the striker was left out of Sunday's 5-1 win over Hamilton Accies with sources at Ibrox describing the strikers attitude as unprofessional and unacceptable.

Earlier this season Boyd quit international football by texting George Burley following Scotland's 0-0 draw with Norway when he was left on the bench with Steven Fletcher and Kris Iwelumo preferred as substitutes.

Boyd is Rangers leading goalscorer with 21 SPL goals this season but has scored just once in his entire career against Celtic and has only started one of the last eight Old Firm clashes.

Kyle Lafferty was selected ahead of Boyd for the 5-1 over Hamilton Accies on Sunday and it is reported that Boyd lashed out against a pile of football boots when he found out he wasn't playing and refused to join the other subs on the pitch for a half-time warm up.

Rangers players were given Monday off but Smith, who allows assistant Ally McCoist to take charge of cup ties, confronted Boyd before training yesterday and told to report back next week.

Boyd has scored 94 goals for Rangers in the three years since his £400,000 transfer from Kilmarnock and turned down a £2.7m move to Birmingham during the summer.

CLICK HERE for more great Celtic stories