Celtic defender set for January exit, Rangers talks with wanted star, I lost Hearts job to 'idiot' claim - Scottish football news

News from across Scottish football on the morning of Wednesday, November 22

Celtic defender Yuki Kobayashi warms up ahead of taking part in Cammy Kerr's Dundee testimonial match at Dens Park. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

Celtic defender set for January exit

Yuki Kobayashi will depart Celtic on loan in January, according to a report. The Japanese defender has been injured for much of the campaign so far and has yet to make a competitive appearance under Brendan Rodgers. He only recently returned to full fitness and featured for a Celtic XI in Cammy Kerr's Dundee testimonial last week. The 23-year-old has played just seven times since arriving on a free transfer from Vissel Kobe last January. The Scottish Sun claim that several J League clubs want to take him back to Japan when the window opens. Kobayashi will find first-team football hard to come by at Celtic with Cameron Carter Vickers, Liam Scales, Maik Nawrocki, Nat Phillips, Stephen Welsh and Gustaf Lagerbielke all competing for the centre-back positions.

Rangers talks with wanted star

Rangers are trying to tie down youngster Ross McCausland on a new contract amid reports he is being monitored by clubs in England and Italy. The 20-year-old has delivered some impressive performances following his recent first-team breakthrough under manager Philippe Clement. His form also earned him a first call-up to the senior Northern Ireland squad and was thrown straight in from the start for his international debut in the 4-0 defeat to Finland in last week's Euro 2024 qualifier. Reports in Italy have credited Roma and Atalanta with taking an interest in the midfielder, while Brentford have also been linked. McCausland is out of contract at the end of the season, and Rangers are keen to tie him on a longer deal rather than risk losing him for as little as £350,000 in training compensation. According to The Daily Record, negotiations between the club, the player and his representatives are ongoing over a new contract with the aim of securing the youngster on a deal until 2027.

I lost Hearts job to 'idiot' claim

Neil Warnock has revealed he still hopes to manage in Scotland after being snubbed by both Hearts and Aberdeen in the past. The 74-year-old is a veteran of the dugout, taking charge of 16 clubs, most recently Huddersfield Town, who he kept in the Championship last season, and holds the record for most matches managed in English football. "I love Scotland - I've always wanted to manage in Scotland," he told BBC Scotland's Sacked in the Morning podcast. "I have never had any offers, although I think I was close to Hearts once, but they gave it to an idiot from Latvia! So they obviously didn't want me." Hearts have never had a Latvian manager but had a number of bosses from neighbouring countries in the past under former owner Vladimir Romanov, who twice appointed Lithuanian Valdas Ivanauskas

Warnock also applied for the Aberdeen manager's job but was unsuccessful. "I applied for the Aberdeen job once and didn't even get a reply, which I thought was bad manners," Warnock said. "I had a lad called Laurent D'Jaffo playing up there and I asked him what it was like and he said 'gaffer, yes come, but it is the only place I've ever known where the seagulls don't land - it's that cold!'"

Celtic fined after Palestine flag display

Celtic have incurred yet another UEFA fine following their supporters' Palestine flag display in the Champions League game against Atletico Madrid on October 25. The fines, totaling £25,000, included a £15,000 payment for "provocative message of an offensive nature” in the stands as well as £6,900 for "blocking of public passageways" and £3000 for "lighting of fireworks". UEFA rules do not permit flags or banners of a political nature to be flown inside stadiums but a request from Celtic for fans not to bring Palestine flags into the ground was ignored. Atletico Madrid also faced a fine for lighting fireworks and received a warning for the improper conduct of the team after receiving more than five bookings in the match.