Rumour Mill: Rangers close in on Accrington duo | Derby eye Cummings

Jason Cummings, right, is a wanted man as he continues to bang in the goals for Hibs this season. Picture: SNS

Rangers close in on Matt Crooks and Josh Windass

Mark Warburton could be set to strengthen his squad at Ibrox with moves for Accrington Stanley pair Matt Crooks and Josh Windass.

It is understood that a deal to bring the pair to Glasgow is close to completion, with the players’ agent in attendance at Rangers’ 4-1 win over Dumbarton last night.

Rangers should be able to snap them up on the cheap as each player is in the final year of their contract, though they do face competition from sides in England’s second tier. (HITC)

Derby County are keen on Hibs striker Jason Cummings

DERBY County are considering a January move for in-form Hibs striker Jason Cummings.

The 20-year-old has netted 14 goals already this season and his proficiency in front of goal attracted the attention of Derby head coach Paul Clement.

The English Championship side face stiff competition from Brighton and Hove Albion, Cardiff City, Fulham, and top flight side Bournemouth.

Cummings still has 18 months left on his deal at Easter Road and the club will likely have to fend off a January bid for his services. (HITC)

Celtic suspend Anthony Stokes over Twitter outburst

CELTIC have suspended Anthony Stokes for two weeks following his outburst on Twitter regarding manager Ronny Deila’s refusal to play the Irishman.

Stokes travelled up with the first-team squad for Sunday’s 3-1 win over Inverness CT, only to be told he would be watching the game from the stands.

The striker then took to social media to vent his frustration. Although he would later apologise for the rant, Celtic decided to take action.

Stokes was turned away when he showed up for training on Tuesday and has been told to stay away for a fortnight. (Daily Mail)

Mark Warburton exasperated by link with Fulham job

MARK Warburton last night expressed exasperation at being linked with the managerial vacancy at Fulham and reaffirmed his commitment to his work at Rangers.

Having previously dismissed speculation linking him with the Fulham job, Warburton was installed as bookmakers’ favourite to become the English Championship club’s next permanent boss amid fresh reports they have identified him as their number one target.

Rangers manager Warburton, who was also linked with QPR last month, appeared irritated when the issue was raised after his team’s 4-0 win over Dumbarton at Ibrox last night. (The Scotsman)

Igor Rossi signs new deal at Hearts

IGOR ROSSI thanked Hearts fans for their backing after signing a new contract with the Edinburgh club.

The Brazilian defender has extended his deal until May 2017 and admitted he is thriving in front of sellout crowds at Tynecastle.

Hearts handed Rossi a 12-month contract upon his arrival from the Portuguese club Maritimo in July.

Expected to play a back-up role, Rossi has played in all but one of Hearts fixtures so far this season. (Evening News)

Rangers fans moved due to Ibrox ‘safety issue’

THE second half of Rangers match with Dumbarton was delayed by several minutes as fans were moved to another part of the stadium due to a safety issue.

It is believed that pieces of the roof coming loose in the Sandy Jardine Stand was the root of the concern.

The supporters in the section directly below were moved into the Broomloan Stand before the second half could start again. (The Scotsman)

Bolton star hurls ‘Scottish’ insult at Neil Lennon

NEIL Lennon was called a ‘Scottish p****’ by Bolton striker Gary Madine as the pair had a spat during the club’s 1-1 draw with Brentford at the weekend.

Bolton are toiling at the wrong end of the English Championship and have been unable to pay their players’ wages on time. (The Scotsman)

Mark Warburton would be ‘crazy’ to move to Fulham - McCall

SCOTLAND assistant Stuart McCall has claimed Rangers manager Mark Warburton would be “absolutely crazy to even contemplate” a move to Fulham. The 52-year-old Englishman, who succeeded McCall at the Ibrox club, has been installed as favourite for the Craven Cottage vacancy by a number of bookmakers.

However, McCall admits his long-standing relationship with Rangers, for whom he was a key figure in their 1990s run to nine straight titles, prevents him seeing Fulham in the same bracket.

“Unless it’s a top side in the Premiership, I think he’d be absolutely crazy to even contemplate it,” (The Scotsman)

Nadir Ciftci must ‘speak with his feet’ - Deila

RONNY Deila challenged Nadir Ciftci to “speak with this feet” as the striker looks to force his way into the Celtic Park starting XI.

Ciftci was the marquee attacking signing during the summer, but has so far failed to live up to the hype, netting only twice in 17 appearances.

The player’s agent Pierre van Hooijdonk stated his concern last week, but Deila is insisted the player will get a fair chance if he can prove his worth.

He said: “Nadir has to speak with this feet and the same can be said about every player. We speak all the time. He knows we want him to work hard and he must always look to improve. We know he has the talent.” (Evening Times)

Ian Black sent off for Shrewsbury Town

FORMER Rangers and Scotland midfielder Ian Black saw red for new club Shrewsbury Town when they took on Walsall in the English League One.

Black was shown two yellow cards in the space of 20 minutes, removing himself from the action in Town’s 3-1 defeat.

The ex-Hearts player has made 10 appearances since signing in September and has scored one goal. (BBC)

Former Celtic youngster Towell signs for Brighton

BRIGHTON sign former Celtic and Hibs youngster Richie Towell following the midfielder’s impressive three season spell with Dundalk.

Towell made only one appearance for the Parkhead club during his time in Scotland, though he did play over 30 times for Hibernian over two loan spells with the Easter Road side.

After being released by Celtic he made the switch to the League of Ireland and has since become a free scoring midfielder, netting an incredible 27 goals this past season. (BBC)

Scots kids are not tough enough says Stuart McCall

LACK of leadership drive among young footballers has Stuart McCall fearing there are no easy solutions for arresting the decline in this country’s football fortunes.

Scotland are destined for a two-decade absence from a major tournament following the failure to qualify for a Euro 2016 finals that will accommodate close on half of Europe’s football nations. Celtic’s inability to win a single tournament encounter on the continent this season, wherein they have fielded a host of indigenous performers, has compounded the misery.

Scotland assistant McCall doesn’t pretend he can see an end in sight because – at a UK-wide level – he sees elite youth players who have the trappings of top-class footballers but not the toughness these talents of old possessed. (The Scotsman)

Rumour Mill: Rangers close in on Accrington duo | Derby eye Cummings | Celtic suspend Stokes