Steven Davis admits Rangers manager deep end is daunting but dressing room lesson from Walter Smith still rings true

Steven Davis admits he hasn’t had time to develop his own managerial style yet – after being thrown in at the deep end as Rangers boss.

The former Ibrox midfielder had just ONE day to work out what he was going to say to a squad bereft of confidence after Michael Beale’s sacking before Thursday night’s Europa League defeat to Aris Limassol. The Northern Ireland international is adamant he won’t change as interim manager because if he did, players would suss him out.

Ahead of today’s vital Premiership clash against St Mirren in Paisley, Davis said: “I probably had about 24 hours to prepare for the job. Everything happened so fast. I just thought: ‘Right, what would I want at that moment?' I’ve tried to use my experience and what I’ve picked up. But ultimately you have to be yourself. If you’re not, people will see through you. I’ve got enough relationships within the dressing-room and I want to try to help them. I’ve got huge frustration about Thursday night and how it worked out. But we’ve got a quick turnaround and have to put it right against St Mirren.”

Davis will try to use all the experience he’s picked up in a stellar 20-year playing career at Rangers and in the Premier League. He worked under some top bosses at Aston Villa and Fulham, including the likes of Martin O’Neill and Roy Hodgson. But the manager who got the best out of Davis was the late Walter Smith, who signed him for Rangers from Fulham back in 2008.

The 38-year-old insists Smith’s influence on him was instant. He said: “Walter just had that aura about him. He got respect straight away, as soon as he walked into a room. When you had your little moments one-to-one with him, he could be a really funny guy as well. He was just top drawer at man-managing