McLeish to stay at Rangers

Published on Thursday 8 December 2005 17:36

ALEX McLeish will remain as Rangers manager, club chairman David Murray confirmed at a press conference today in Edinburgh.

Murray said: "I can confirm that Alex McLeish will continue as manager of Rangers Football Club.

"Although we recognise that results in our domestic league are not of the standard that all at Rangers expect, we should not minimalise one of our greatest achievements in European history.

"We have qualified for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League with limited resources, and we are confident that when normal league business resumes, our squad, who are fully behind our manager, can improve on our current league position.

"I would personally like to thank the Rangers family for their massive support in recent weeks and I am sure when further success returns, we will enjoy it even more."

McLeish had been under pressure to turn the Glasgow giant's fortunes around. They currrently sit in fifth place in the SPL, 17 points behind leaders Celtic, who also knocked them out of the CIS Cup.

But the 1-1 result in the Champions League against Inter Milan at Ibrox on Tuesday night has given McLeish breathing space.

It is the first time a Scottish club has progessed to the last 16 of the European competition.

McLeish has been at Rangers since December 2001 after leaving Edinburgh club Hibernian.