Quashie came close to Rangers deal

Nigel Quashie revealed the constant speculation over Alex McLeish’s future at Rangers this season led him to turn down a loan move to Ibrox in January.

The 27-year-old Scotland midfielder Quashie snubbed an approach from the Light Blues, preferring to go to West Brom from Southampton after manager Bryan Robson paid £1.5m to land him on a permanent deal.

Subsequently, Quashie’s fears about McLeish’s future were borne out when it was revealed that the Ibrox boss would be stepping down at the end of the season.

The former Portsmouth player told the Sunday People the uncertainty of it all had swayed him towards the midlands.

He said: “I had no problem with the loan part of the deal but one thing I was aware of was the situation rgarding the manager.

“There was constant talk of Alex McLeish leaving the club. It started just a month or two into the season and the speculation was going on and on which concerned me.

“If I’d have gone there and within a few weeks he had held a press conference saying he was going to leave, that would have left me in a difficult position.

“The chairman David Murray and Alex himself were nothing short of brilliant towards me but it was a complex situation.

“It was more difficult than the one I find myself in with West Brom.

“I’ve no regrets over the course I chose – even though it was hard.”