Manager Walter Smith insists Rangers’ desire for Scottish Premier League glory should count for more than anything Celtic say.

Victory at Dundee United on Sunday would guarantee the title and end a run of three consecutive Celtic successes.

“However, Celtic striker Georgios Samaras said his team were better and deserve to win the championship.“The motivation to win a championship comes from within,” said Smith. “That’s good motivation.”In what is sure to be a tense finale to the season, Celtic can overhaul Rangers’ two-point lead on the final day if Smith’s side drop points at Tannadice and the defending champions beat Hearts.But Smith is confident his players are aware of the demands at Ibrox and will not need any extra spur from Samaras’s comments.The Greek international suggested Rangers would be unworthy champions but Smith insisted: “That’s a poor motivation for anybody.”Everybody in Scotland has opinions. We read them every day and we listen to them every day. It’s just something that happens.”If that’s the player’s opinion, then fine. I always say to players that’s not a good motivation.”If you have to grasp onto something else all the time, then that’s not the proper motivation.“Smith enjoyed great success during his first spell at Ibrox, steering the club to their nine-in-a-row success in the late 1990s.He returned at a time when the Ibrox club was in disarray following Paul Le Guen’s disastrous 200-day tenure and now has the chance to end a period of Celtic dominance.“

League One play-off final

Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins is confident the pain of having already lost at Wembley this season will spur his side on against Millwall on Sunday.

“The Iron go into the League Two play-off final seven weeks after losing the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final.”The experience of having been to Wembley and sampled it is going to be very beneficial,” said Adkins.”It’s not nice to lose at Wembley but hopefully it can drive us on a little bit more when those legs are tired.”Millwall’s hopes of a return to the Championship after three years has been boosted by the news defender Zak Whitbread will be fit for the Wembley clash after recovering from the head injury he suffered against Leeds.Neil Harris has overcome a dead leg and is likely to start, while Lewis Grabban will come in for James Henry, whose loan from Reading has finished.Scunthorpe’s top scorer Gary Hooper is fit again after a groin problem.Andrew Wright (facial wound) and Joseph Mills (ankle) could feature but Marcus Williams is definitely out because of an Achilles injury.Scunthorpe earned their place in the final with a penalty shoot-out win over MK Dons and come up against a Millwall side who battled their way past Leeds.Adkins has seen his team beat Kenny Jackett’s side twice already this season but insisted Millwall are favourites.”We’re the underdogs, clearly,” said the 44-year-old, who was the club’s physio when they last went up through the play-offs in 1999.”It’s a one-off game, anything can happen, and the players are in good spirits and expecting a hard game.”Reflecting on their previous Wembley visit this season, Adkins told BBC Look North: “We can go down there having experienced it before and we don’t need to play the occasion – we just need to play the game.”We loved every minute of the Championship last year, got 46 points and so nearly managed to stay up.”We wanted to give ourselves an opportunity to get back there and we’ve got it now with one game to go, our 60th of the season.””Gary Hooper and Paul Hayes have a had great partnership this year. Gary’s scored 30 goals, Paul has scored 20, so that’s 50 between them.”Jackett was a losing FA Cup finalist as a player with Watford back in 1984 and is desperate to experience the winning feeling as a manager.”Finals are horrible to lose in. It’s terrific to be involved, it will be a great day but we want to cap it all by winning,” he said.”Scunthorpe made a good fist of the Championship last year and have had a very successful season so far this year. They have some very good players, they’ve beaten us twice so we know what we are up against.”It’s a big challenge but there is no reason why we can’t overcome it.”

The Iron have sold just short of 10,000 tickets for the final and their support will be dwarfed by Millwall, who are expected to take as many as 50,000 fans for their first Wembley appearance in a decade.Defender Alan Dunne was a Lions youth player when his side lost 1-0 to Wigan in the Auto Windscreens Shield final 10 years ago.”I remember the day itself – I would love to have played but never thought I would have got to play there,” he said.”We’re going on Sunday knowing only a win will do. So while we will take in a great occasion, we have to win the game.”We’ve played Scunthorpe twice this year and they’ve beaten us twice but it’s a one-off game, a cup competition, and either team can win it.

( BBC Sport 9