Boumsong move on hold

Kilmarnock 0 Rangers 1

But he did confirm that the player’s partner had suffered abuse from a disgruntled Rangers fan during the club’s painful European exit in midweek.

Boumsong helped Rangers move to within a point of Bank of Scotland Premier League leaders Celtic by beating Kilmarnock 1-0 at Rugby Park and the away fans chanted his name near the end. It has been suggested Newcastle had improved the initial £7.5 million offer which had been rejected earlier in the week.

But McLeish insisted: “We know there is genuine interest from Newcastle but it as I said the other day.

“I don’t think anything has changed following the refusal of the offer.”

A first-half strike from Shota Arveladze sealed the three points for Rangers.

KILMARNOCK: Smith, Greer, Hay, Dindeleux, Ford, Leven, McDonald (Wales 45), Invincibile, Naismith (Murray 59), Boyd, Nish (Dodds 72).

RANGERS: Klos, Hutton, Vignal, Boumsong, Andrews, Alex Rae, Mladenovic, Namouchi (Thompson 69), Ricksen, Arveladze, Prso (Burke 79).

Referee: D McDonald.