Rangers issue ‘hands off’ warning to FA over Mark Warburton as they shoot down England U-21s link
A senior Ibrox source has confirmed that they will fight tooth and nail to stop the Gers gaffer being lured back down south
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RANGERS have issued a “hands off” warning to the FA after Mark Warburton emerged as a surprise contender for the England Under-21s job.
thanks to his track record of nurturing and developing young players.
But he has NOT applied for the role — and has no intention of doing so before the deadline.
If the FA are serious about their pursuit of the 53-year-old, they need to seek permission to speak to the Ibrox boss before they begin the interviewing process on January 13.
As of last night, no such approach had been made.
And a senior Ibrox source also confirmed that Rangers would fight tooth and nail to keep Warburton, who has turned things around following a slow start to the season.
Rangers are up to second place in the Scottish Premiership, following consecutive wins against Aberdeen, Hearts and Hamilton.
His continued commitment to playing attractive football means many influential Wembley figures want him to succeed Gareth Southgate, who landed the senior job for keeps last month.
Southgate has appointed Chelsea assistant manager Steve Holland to be his No2, at the end of the season.
But Rangers are confident Warburton would reject any advances given he is just 18 months into an initial three-year project at Ibrox.
Warbs signed an improved contract in the summer having led Rangers back to the top flight in his first season in charge.
An overhaul of the playing staff followed and it has taken longer than expected for his new signings to gel.
But in recent weeks, with Warburton adapting his style and formation, Rangers have played some impressive stuff.
The Ibrox boss was linked with a string of moves last season and it is anticipated he will one day return to manage at the top level in England.
But he is in no rush to head back south just yet, with Rangers confident of keeping their man.
Other names in the frame include current Under-20s chief Aidy Boothroyd, who stood in for Southgate for the Under-21s’ final two Euro 2017 qualifiers.
The former Watford boss, who as a player had a brief spell with Hearts, led England’s kids to a wins over Kazakhstan and Bosnia and Herzegovina and is expected to apply.
Paul Clement, currently No2 to Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich, and ex-Valencia coach Phil Neville are also potential candidates.
But the FA’s desire to appoint an English boss with a proven ability for spotting and developing young talent has prompted many senior figures inside Wembley’s corridors of power to put former City trader Warbs at the top of their target list.
