Celtic praised for 'bargain' signing, champions refuse to concede title to Rangers, Scottish boss blasts 'childish' BBC question, Rangers outcast hails Gerrard - Scottish Premiership Rumour Mill

Thursday’s Scottish football news and gossip.

Former Celtic defender Glenn Loovens. Picture: SNS

Celtic refuse to concede title

Celtic will not concede the title to rivals Rangers until it’s mathematically impossible for the nine-time defending champions to retain their crown, insists assistant manager John Kennedy after the Hoops cut the gap at the top to 15 points. (Daily Record)

Celtic recruit backed to succeed

Former Celtic defender Glenn Loovens has backed pre-contract recruit Liam Shaw to be a hit at Celtic Park and reckons his old side have nabbed themselves a “bargain”. (Scottish Sun)

McInnes bemoans handball call

Aberdeen’s failure to score in the 1-0 defeat at Celtic Park set a new unwanted record for under-pressure boss Derek McInnes. It is the first time in the club’s 118-year history that the Dons have gone six consecutive matches without finding the net but McInnes felt his side should have been given the opportunity to end that drought from the penalty spot. (The Scotsman)

McInnes blasts ‘childish’ question

Derek McInnes derided a question put to him on BBC Scotland after Wednesday’s loss at Celtic Park, calling it “childish thinking”. The Aberdeen manager was quizzed on whether he was frustrated Bruce Anderson was scoring freely at Hamilton Accies while his side struggle to find the back of the net. (Daily Record)

Gerrard 'personally let down’ by Rangers 5

Steven Gerrard admits he feels “personally let down” by the five Rangers players who breached Covid-19 protocols to attend an illegal party. Nathan Patterson, Bongani Zungu, Dapo Mebude, Brian Kinnear and Calvin Bassey have all been fined by the club and forced into isolation. (Scottish Sun)

Jones hails Gerrard

Jordan Jones insists he “doesn’t have a bad word” to say about Rangers boss Steven Gerrard despite being loaned out in the January transfer window to Sunderland following a breach of Covid-19 rules. (Daily Record)

SFA hire new compliance officer

The Scottish FA has confirmed the appointment of the organisation’s new Compliance Officer. Andrew Phillips will succeed Clare Whyte, who announced her intention to step down from the role in November last year. (The Scotsman)

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