Alan Stubbs: Scott Allan going nowhere for now

HIBS manager Alan Stubbs, pictured, has reiterated his view that Scott Allan would not be sold ahead of the coming campaign and said that he was fully supported by the board.

Scott Allan (left) during the Petrofac Training Cup First Round leg against Rangers at Easter Road. Picture: Neil Hanna

The midfielder could only manage a place on the bench as the Easter Road club welcomed his suitors, Rangers, to Leith in yesterday’s Petrofac Training Cup tie and while Stubbs took full responsibility for that decision, he said he had not altered his opinion on the part Allan would play in his plans for the season.

“Probably the best way to settle this is I’ll give one answer on Scott Allan. It’s three words. Not for sale. This is to put it to bed here and now. We will be adding to the squad, not anyone leaving the squad. I have spoken to Mark [Warburton, the Rangers manager], it was a very respectful conversation, end of story. You have to respect a club’s stance when they say a player is not for sale. It’s not a ‘not for sale and we welcome bids’ – it’s ‘not for sale’.

“I spoke to Scott and I don’t think it would have been right for me to put him in the game today with what has been going on, the circus of the past few days. He is a professional footballer and a human being and it would have affected him. He enjoys playing football so if I had made the decision to play him I’m sure he would have played but I made that decision with my staff.

“I said to Scotty that I was doing it for him and the club but I’m not going to fall out with Scotty, far from it. It’s a situation the club has dealt with and we’ve drawn a line under it. My dialogue with Rod [Petrie, the chairman] and Leeann [Dempster, the chief executive] has been very clear from the outset.”

But Stubbs was unwilling to say whether the player had made it clear that he would prefer to go.

“It’s irrelevant. He has one year left on his contract and we said two months ago, Scotty said two months ago, that he will see how the season goes and he can go for nothing at 
the end of the season. He can sign a pre-contract in January.

“Those are his options and he will have some very good options as well if he sticks it out.”