Rangers takeover: McCulloch hopes squad can be kept together

McCulloch, who has been used an auxiliary striker in recent months, scored his fifth goal since February in yesterday’s 4-0 win against St Johnstone. He is expecting to return to pre-season training as normal next month after news that a consortium led by Charles Green has agreed a deal to buy the imperilled club. “I can only speak for myself, but returning for pre-season is all that’s on my mind,” he said. “I’ll go and try and enjoy the summer and come back in and use the feelings and frustrations of this season to try and win a trophy next season.”

He welcomed the arrival of Green, who looks set to begin paying the wages of the players after they return to full pay on 1 June.

“I think there’s still a long way to go with Wednesday’s decision,” McCulloch said, with reference to Rangers’ appeal against sanctions imposed by the Scottish Football Association, due to be heard at Hampden Park in midweek. “The big thing is hopefully keeping the squad together. That’s most important. We don’t want anyone to go.

“Some of the feelings we’ve had in the dressing room this season haven’t been nice and coming through it has made us a lot stronger. Time will tell if we can keep the dressing room together but, right now, it’s all about next season.”

McCulloch paid tribute to manager Ally McCoist, who ended his first season in charge with a morale-boosing win in Perth yesterday. Rangers managed to hold on to second place in the Scottish Premier League despite a ten-point penalty imposed after administration and ended up eight points clear of Motherwell

“The manager has been superb,” said McCulloch. “Everyone forgets this has been his first season as his own man and I think even a manager with all the experience in the world would have struggled to deal with some of the things he’s gone through.”