Confusion reigns as Rangers manager Mark Warburton denies quitting

Warburton, assistant manager David Weir and the club’s head of recruitment Frank McParland apparently left the club on Friday night.

Indeed, the Scottish Premiership side released a statement to that effect before BBC Scotland revealed Warburton was unaware of his own resignation.

"It is important that Rangers has a football management team that wants to be at the club and that the board believes can take the club forward to meet our stated ambition to return to being the number one club in Scotland," Rangers said in a statement on their website, insisting Warburton had resigned and not been sacked.

"We are clearly short of where we expected to be at this time."

Rangers U20 coach Graeme Murty was drafted in to oversee the first team’s Scottish Cup clash with Morton on Sunday – but Warburton’s remarks suggest he may yet be in the dugout.

Warburton, former manager of Championship side Brentford, took over as Rangers boss in June 2015 on a three-year deal.

The Ibrox club are third in the Scottish Premiership standings, level on points with second-placed Aberdeen and 27 behind runaway leaders Celtic.