Jermain Defoe’s wages are the same as my entire squad - Steve Clarke

Steve Clarke highlighted the financial disparities between Kilmarnock and Rangers ahead of their Ladbrokes Premiership clash at Rugby Park on Wednesday evening.

Light Blues manager Steve Gerrard has strengthened his squad during the January transfer with the recruitment of Northern Ireland skipper Steven Davis on loan from Southampton and England international Jermain Defoe, on loan from Bournemouth.

Reports at the weekend claimed that the Ibrox club were paying the former West Ham, Tottenham and Sunderland striker £35,000 of his £90,000 weekly wages.

Jermain Defoe joined Rangers earlier this month. Picture: SNS

Killie boss Clarke, whose side are in third place in the league and a point behind Rangers and Celtic, were drawn against Cowdenbeath or the Light Blues in the next round of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

“If you put it into isolation, if the figures are to be believed of £35,000 which is bandied around, if that is the case and they are paying that for Jermain Defoe, to put that into context, that is the budget that I have got for my entire squad, per week,” Clarke said.

“That shows you how well we are doing.

“The important thing for us is to continue working the way we have always worked since I came to the club.

“That is to focus on ourselves and prepare properly for the game and make sure we are ready for anything that Rangers show on the day.”

Clarke will have no qualms playing Rangers-bound winger Jordan Jones against the Govan side.

The Northern Ireland international has signed a pre-contract agreement with the Light Blues and will join the Ibrox club in the summer on a four-year deal.

The former West Brom boss said: “If Jordan is fit and ready to go and I want to use him then that’s what I will do.

“He is a Kilmarnock player, he has sorted his future out which is good for him.

“But I think he is a good player, an important player for my team so if I decide that he is going to start on Wednesday night then he is going to start.

“I have no worries about Jordan whatsoever.”

Clarke was hoping Greg Stewart would spend the rest of the season on loan from Birmingham only to see him move to Aberdeen on loan.

The Killie manager will now consider his options.

“We are always looking at the market,” he added. For us it is more difficult.

“We don’t have thousands of pounds to throw at players, we don’t buy players so I am looking at the loan market, the free-transfer market.

“If I feel I can bring someone into help the squad, that’s what I will do.

“If I feel I have to run with what I’ve already got then I will do that as well because I have every faith in the players I have in the building.”