Rumour Mill: Ryan Gauld | Celtic fans

Ryan Gauld was named the SPFL Scottish Premiership Young Player of the Month for November. Picture: SNS

‘Baby Messi’ Ryan Gauld not keen on English move

Dundee United wunderkind Ryan Gauld, has revealed he would make a move to the continent ahead of a move to England because the style of play would better suit his stature.

Gauld said: “When I was growing up, I watched the Spanish leagues and prefer the style of that, getting the ball down and being patient with the build-up play. In England, it’s maybe more direct. If you are a winger, you are expected to take on a full-back and get a cross in. If it’s abroad, you can turn out, keep the ball and just keep the attack going.”

Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Juventus are on a list of clubs who have scouted the Dundee United prodigy, that seems to be growing by the week with Roma the latest team to send officials to report on Gauld.

Gauld added: “Abroad, you see more players who are smaller in stature. In England, it’s more athletes. Me being a smaller guy, I need to think about what’s best for me and what’s best around me. I think being abroad is the best culture of football for me.” (Sunday Post)

Celtic condemn vandal fans

Celtic have condemned the behaviour of some of their supporters after seats were destroyed and flares set off at Fir Park on Friday night that could leave the club with a bill of £10,000.

Sround 60 seats were broken at Motherwell’s stadium, Alan Dick, the Scottish Professional Football League’s match delegate, described it as “the worst vandalism I have seen inside a football ground”, in his report.

It was reported that some of the seats with Green Brigade stickers had IRA slogans scrawled on them. Another had “f*** Lawwell” written on it – a reference to Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell. (Various)

• Tom English has his say on Fir Park vandalism

McCoist paycut delayed

Ally McCoist offered to cut his pay as far back as September after Rangers revealed operating losses of £14 million. But yesterday the Gers boss disclosed that the club has not yet allowed him to reduce his £825,000 annual salary.

Asked if the board had accepted his offer, McCoist admitted: “Not yet. We have met on two or three occasions. My advisor met the previous chief exec and we more or less agreed terms but as yet nothing has happened.

“I’m hopeful that’s just down to the changeover because nothing has changed on my part. We feel it’s the right thing to do, we want to do it and we will do it – hopefully sooner rather than later.

“I would hope that the agreement we had, we could just continue with.” (Various)

Ally confused over Rangers boardroom

With the club’s AGM approaching 10 days, Ally McCoist seems confused about who has control over the Rangers boardroom.

The Rangers manager said: “You would have to ask the board that. I genuinely don’t know. We’ve come from a situation where we knew who the boss was for 20-odd years in Sir David Murray and now it’s completely different.

“We’ll just have to wait until the AGM to see what the institutions do. My job is to pick a team to go and win a game of football so there’s nothing I can do or say to have an effect.” (Daily Record)

Celtic will be ‘haunted’ by Champions Leage campaign

Anthony Stokes has said Celtic will be haunted by missed chances when they look back at this season’s Champions League campaign.

Celtic go to Barcelona on Wednesday in what will be a meaningless tie for the Scottish champions as they know they can not progress in any form of European competition this year.

Stokes has failed to score in his eight Champions League starts this year, he said: “You learn to be a bit more patient because you don’t have as much possession, but ruthlessness in front of goal is the key. You might only get half a chance in a game but you have to take it.” (Various)

Rumour Mill: Ryan Gauld | Celtic fans | Rangers