Rangers administration: Neil Alexander and Sasa Papac among those facing axe

Rangers goalkeeper Neil Alexander may face redundancy. Picture: SNS

By STEPHEN HALLIDAY
Published on Thursday 1 March 2012 00:22

AS MANY as six Rangers first team squad members could be made redundant by administrators as they prepare to unveil details of further job losses at the Ibrox club within the next 48 hours.

It is believed an announcement will be made either today or tomorrow by Duff and Phelps, the company brought in by discredited owner Craig Whyte when he placed Rangers into administration on 14 February.

Among the players most likely to be offloaded are Bosnian defender Sasa Papac and goalkeeper Neil Alexander. One of the highest paid players at the club, on around £18,000-a-week, Papac is out of contract in the summer and has openly expressed his expectation that he will be among those to have their employment terminated by the administrators.

Alexander’s contract with Rangers does not expire until the summer of 2013, but the 33-year-old former Scotland international, who moved to Ibrox from Ipswich Town four years ago, is another relatively high earner. As back-up goalkeeper to Allan McGregor, he is thought to be regarded as surplus to requirements by the administrators in the club’s current situation.

In addition to Papac, four other players have just four months remaining on their existing contracts – David Healy, Andrew Little, Sone Aluko and Salim Kerkar. But as they are on comparatively lower salaries, they may escape any action from the administrators and be allowed to see out the season before their positions are reviewed.

There are six players who, like Alexander, have just over a year of their contracts to run – Lee McCulloch, Maurice Edu, Kyle Lafferty, Kirk Broadfoot, John Fleck and Kane Hemmings. Veteran McCulloch, another of the highest earners at the club and who has no sell-on value, may be vulnerable.

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