Dundee’s chief executive Scot Gardiner has decided to stay at Dens Park, despite reported interest from Rangers.
Representatives acting on behalf of the Glasgow giants held talks with Gardiner earlier this week as they seek to fill the vacant chief executive role at Ibrox.
However, Gardiner is understood to have told members of the board at Dens that he wants to stay with the Championship club and has rebuffed Rangers’ apparent advances.
It has been suggested that Rangers had given Gardiner 24 hours to decide if he wanted to make the switch to Ibrox, given the Ibrox outfit’s wish to have a new chief executive in place well ahead of the club’s all-important annual general meeting on December 19.
Rangers have already appointed David Somers as acting chairman and confirmed the appointment of Norman Crighton as a non-executive director on the board earlier today.
Following Craig Mather’s resignation as chief executive in October, Rangers advertised for a replacement and sought candidates who were of “exceptional quality and experience” and were “comfortable in a high-profile environment”.
It is thought the job was Gardiner’s if he wanted it, although rebel shareholders including Paul Murray and Jim McColl are angry that the club would offer another highly-paid post with the AGM so close and demanded any appointment be blocked.
However, Gardiner has told Dundee’s director of football operations John Nelms that he wants to remain at Dens Park and continue his work following the club’s takeover by Texas-based investors in the summer.