'All I know...' - Rangers-linked defender reacts to Gers transfer question before Ibrox visit

Rangers are believed to have been interested in bringing Hearts defender James Penrice to the club last season but he has avoided revealing any details of the pursuit.

The Scottish defender spoke to Edinburgh News on 9 November ahead of the Jam Tarts’ visit to Ibrox and was “reticent when asked to divulge how far Rangers took things” amid rumours of Light Blues interest as he neared an exit from Livingston.

The Gers ultimately spent £675,000 to buy Jefte at left-back instead and Penrice moved to Tynecastle on a free transfer in the summer, which is all he wanted to focus on in the interview.

When asked about the Rangers links a smiling Penrice said: “There’s a lot. All I know is that I had the meeting with the management staff here at Hearts in January and from then I was sold. From then, it was just about tying up here. As soon as it came in, I knew that this was the place for me. I hope that, with my performances, I’ve shown that I want to be here and I want to try and win things here.

“That’s ultimately the reason I signed here, because it’s a massive club. The European draw was fantastic. Playing nights like Thursday against Bundesliga teams is massive. In my career, these are the things I won’t forget. All that stuff in January, whoever was in, it was just that club and the agent. As soon as that came in, I was very happy.”

James Penrice joined Hearts amid Rangers links

It is clearly all water under the bridge now that Penrice is in Edinburgh but his reluctance to comment on any progress towards an Ibrox move probably suggests there was something there.

However, now that he has moved elsewhere there is no mileage from his perspective in doing anything but committing his focus to his new side.

Philippe Clement and Nils Koppen likely needed to consider alternatives when the expected January switch for Jefte collapsed thanks to complications involving his loan at APOEL [Daily Record, 28 January], which ultimately forced Rangers to wait until the summer to bring him in from Fluminense.

Despite a difficult collective campaign at Ibrox the Brazilian has largely been a positive addition, although his “absolutely criminal” defending, or lack of it, to allow Andy Halliday to score for Motherwell last week was a low point for him [Michael Stewart via Premier Sports, 3 November].

The Light Blues have been criticised at times for overlooking Scottish options with experience of the Premiership too often in recent years, but there appears to be a greater willing to consider such additions under Clement.

Connor Barron has been one of the bright spots this season after leaving Aberdeen, but interest in Motherwell sensation Lennon Miller looks likely have been left too late, with the teenager now attracting interest from the English Premier League [Daily Record, 5 November].

Hearts have had a worse campaign so far than even Clement’s Gers, having won just twice since the two sides shared a goalless draw on the opening day to sit second from bottom in the table.

The Ibrox boss badly needs a victory in the home meeting, and will hope Penrice doesn’t show him what he could have won.

In other Rangers news, Clement made one of his own senior players unhappy while making a major statement says Michael Stewart.

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