Rangers' Dutch coach Dick Advocaat has announced that he will discuss an extension to his current two-year-long Ibrox
contract whenever chairman David Murray sets a date for discussions to take place.
The man who was appointed to the post last summer as Rangers embarked on a massive rebuilding programme has spent around #30m to bring in new players and it is clear that he wants to see the job he has taken on reach fruition.
Talking to the club's official publication Rangers News,
Advocaat stressed: ''We want to improve the club for more than one year, it is a three to five-year plan. We have to build a team that can work for one to four years and then maybe buy one or two players each year.
''Ideally I want the situation Manchester United have, where we can spend big money on only one or two players who can take the team to another level. But first we have to have the stable team they have and we are working hard on that at the moment.''
He added: ''I made a commitment when I signed and I am thinking in the long-term with my plans for the team - setting up a training facility and bringing Michael Mols to the club next season.
''I feel I am just at the start here at Rangers. We are building a firm base and when Mr Murray wants to discuss my contract, I will be happy to do so. There is absolutely no reason for people to suggest that I am leaving within the year.''
It seems, too, that Rangers have identified the site where they intend to build their training complex. It will be located in a Glasgow suburb and every player with Rangers will work there on the outdoor and indoor training pitches.
Treatment facilities will also be based at the complex and one insider said last night: ''It will be built on the classic Italian lines with everything the players need right there at hand. In fact, the players will not see Ibrox except on match days once the training facility is up and running.''
The facility is something very close to Advocaat's heart and he would not want to leave Rangers when so many things are happening at the club and are beginning to bear his imprint.
Advocaat seems set to sign for at least two more years when the talks get under way. Apparently he wants to stay. Murray wants to keep him, and there is no barrier to a fresh deal being completed.
Yesterday Advocaat beat the transfer deadline to bring Australian defender Craig Moore back from Crystal Palace.
Moore moved south early in the season - in advance of his contract finishing, which would have allowed him to move south for nothing - but the London club are in serious financial difficulties. That has meant they have been unable to pay Rangers the full #700,000 transfer fee and cannot afford the player's salary.
He agreed his return to Ibrox yesterday after the Scottish Premier League gave Rangers special permission to sign him. Under Scottish League rules there might have been a problem, as Moore had been away from Glasgow for less than a year.
The new SPL, though, had no objections and Moore will be in the league leaders' squad when they travel to Perth on Sunday for a crucial title game as well as a rehearsal for the Scottish Cup semi-final between the two teams the following week.
qHearts last night signed Falkirk central defender Kevin James less than an hour before the transfer deadline.
The Tynecastle club registered the papers at the Scottish league offices in Glasgow, which had remained open specially.
In the deal, Hearts keeper Myles Hogarth moves to Falkirk along with #250,000 of Chris Robinson's cash.
Hearts had spent the last 48 hours busily trying to add to their squad and an inquiry to Ayr for winger Glynn Hurst was turned down.
qPARTICK Thistle yesterday snapped up a striker, born in Croatia who is now a naturalised Swede, but has played in Denmark and is on loan from
an English club.
Manager John Lambie said of Kenajil Avdou: ''I spotted him on the Internet and I travelled to
England last week and saw him playing and he is quick.''
Other moves yesterday included:
Brian McLaughlin (Celtic) to Dundee United, on loan;
Gordon Burns (Ayr) to Partick Thistle, on loan; Barry Donachie and Chris Devine (both Dundee United) to Arbroath, on loan; Gary Lynn (Scarborough) to Hamilton; Paul Reilly (Hibs) to Brechin; John McQuade (Port Vale) to Raith Rovers, on loan; Tony Warner (Liverpool) to Aberdeen, on loan; Graeme Jaffa (Dunfermline) to Stirling Albion, on loan; Peter Cormack (free agent) to Stirling Albion, short-term.
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