Craig Whyte: Rangers crisis began before takeover

FORMER Rangers owner Craig Whyte has claimed Rangers were in trouble before he bought the club for £1 from Sir David Murray.

Craig Whyte has claimed Rangers were in trouble before he bought the club. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Speaking to the Scottish Sun, Whyte opened up on his takeover in his first interview since his arrest in Mexico last month.

The Motherwell-born businessman faces a jail sentence if found guilty of serious fraud charges relating to his acquisition of the Ibrox club, but told the Sun: “It doesn’t frighten me.

“I know that I have done absolutely nothing wrong.”

“It’s not something I would wish on anybody but I hope that it doesn’t come to that.”

On the subject of his takeover in 2011, Whyte insisted Rangers were in trouble before his arrival.

“What everyone forgets is I’m the only person in recent years who hasn’t taken a penny out of Rangers,” he said.

“I bought a company that was bankrupt for £1. Rangers were already completely bankrupt at the time when I got involved.

“All I did was step in to try to rescue a situation that was already way beyond. It was my intention to take it forward as a business and not to see it in the sorry state it is in at the moment.”

And Whyte believes if Rangers had made it in to the Europa League, they would not have gone into administration that season.

But Whyte, 43 - banned from Scottish football in 2012 - added: “I don’t regret [the Rangers takeover] because I think you regret the things you don’t do — but I wouldn’t do it again.

“Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I wouldn’t be rushing to do a football deal again.”