MARK Warburton last night broke his silence on his “shock” departure from Rangers and insisted none of the allegations which have been made about him since he left Ibrox last month are true.
Warburton was officially unveiled as the new manager of English Championship club Nottingham Forest at the City Ground yesterday – just five weeks after he left Glasgow in acrimonious circumstances.
Davie Weir and Frank McParland, who were his assistant manager and head of recruitment respectively during his spell in charge at Rangers, have also taken up positions at the East Midlands club.
The events which led to the Englishman’s exit from after a season and a half at the helm were bizarre and are currently the subject of a legal action that is being overseen by the League Managers Association.
Rangers claimed an agent acting on behalf of Warburton, Weir and McParland had jointly tendered their resignations in return for them waiving their right to compensation from any club they then joined.
However, the trio, who were informed via email late on a Friday night that their resignations had been accepted, have denied standing down and are pursuing the matter through the LMA.
Dave King, the Rangers chairman and major shareholder, then stated on the Ibrox club’s official website that confidential information from a board meeting had been leaked to the media.
King also revealed that he had been informed of rumours about the management team’s representative negotiating a move with English clubs earlier this season.
But Warburton, speaking about the affair publicly for the first time in an exclusive interview with Herald Sport, has now hit back.
He is adamant that none of the claims which have been made about him since he moved on from Rangers are accurate and expressed hope his side of the story will come out in future.
“I kept my counsel through the events and the shock of the Friday night when I received an email, as did David and Frank,” he said. “I kept my counsel.
“In the ensuing few days when the club, when Rangers, released a variety of statements I sought the advice of the LMA who have been outstanding in their support.
“I issued my response through the LMA in my official statement and right now, I’m sure you can appreciate, there is a legal process under way and being followed. It wouldn’t be appropriate to make any comment above what was in my statement.”
Warburton added: “As and when the time is right, I’m sure that can change. But right now it is really important that we follow that legal process.
“As I have said I have got a legal process. But what I can say is I have heard an awful lot of things that supposedly happened but none of them are true.
“From my point of view, I will follow the advice of the LMA who have been outstanding in their support. Let’s follow the process and when the time is right I am sure the details will emerge.”
Warburton, whose first game in charge of Forest is the East Midlands derby against their local rivals Derby County at the City Ground tomorrow, said the move to the two-time European Cup winners had happened suddenly.
Asked if he had expected to be back in management so quickly, he replied: “In truth, no. I didn’t expect to be here. It happened very, very quickly.
“I was advised by many people to take months out of the game and reflect. I’m not that way inclined. It may suit some people. It doesn’t suit myself and David. But I was taking my time and spent some time at home. Literally, when it came it happened very, very quickly.”
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