The skipper made his comeback early in the second half of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash at Ibrox after five months out of action with an ankle injury.

By then, Rangers were already cruising thanks a Kris Boyd hat-trick sandwiched between strikes from Nacho Novo and Kenny Miller.

Smith warned that Ferguson will need time to return to the kind of form he demonstrated last season but, with a busy schedule coming up, he expects to see his captain back to his best in the next couple of weeks.

Smith said: "It's good to see Barry back. The game was maybe a little bit flat at that stage but it was a good game for him to come back in.

"With four games in the next couple of weeks, we should see him back to full fitness at the end of that period.

"We are delighted to see him back. He has been out for five months and we just have to make sure everything is right with him.

"The team have been doing well and it's not always easy to make changes. He led from the front last season and it will take him a few games to get back so I look forward to that."

Novo started the rout after spending the week at the centre of a debate over non-nationals representing the national team following his revelation that he would be willing to switch allegiance from Spain to Scotland after seven years in the country.

However, those hopes were dashed by the Scottish Football Association yesterday and, when it was put to Smith that it had been a tough couple of days for the striker, the Rangers manager could not resist having some fun at Novo's expense.

He joked: "It's been tough for him, has it? Wondering what country he was born in?

"Nacho is one of those boys who sometimes gets a wee bit upset when we don't play him as often as he hopes.

"But, every time he plays, he always gives you something. He's a good lad - whatever country he is from!"

Smith now hopes a lack of goals will no longer be a problem for Rangers following today's emphatic victory.

He said: "It was a good first half for us, we played very well in that opening spell, and got off to a good start.

"This season we have started a number of games well in terms of possession - but not goals.

"Today, we managed to get three early on and we are delighted from that point of view.

"In recent matches we have concentrated a wee bit too much on our possession of the ball and not enough on turning that into something tangible in terms of goals.

"It was good to get off to a good start today and then add a number of goals.

"We are maybe getting there now in terms of trying to achieve the proper balance between a good level of possession and goals at the end of it."

Inverness boss Craig Brewster said: "It was a difficult 45 minutes - the worst 45 minutes I've seen from a Caley side.

"When good teams get in front, that's when they start to enjoy themselves. And, if you ask any Rangers player, they will say they thoroughly enjoyed that first 45 minutes.

"The free-kick at the first goal was never a free-kick but Rangers punished us. Then we got a bit of credibility and pride back in the second half."