Riordan has turned down several contract offers from Hibs

There had been suggestions that the pair were at loggerheads after Rangers failed in an attempt to sign Riordan earlier in the week.

But Mowbray stressed: "Derek and me get on fine. He's an outspoken young man, he wants to play, he wants to score and be part of a successful team.

"I'll make decisions sometimes that'll upset him, but there's no problem."

It is believed that the reigning champions offered around �400,000 plus add-ons for Riordan, but that was not enough to tempt Hibs to part with the prolific 23-year-old.

Lokomotiv Moscow also reportedly bid for Riordan, along with Kaiserslautern, but the player himself did not wish to leave Britain.

Derek will play when I think it's best for the team Hibernian manager Tony Mowbray

Riordan, who has rejected Hibs' offers of a new deal, is out of contract in October and is unlikely to fetch a similar transfer fee should he leave in the summer.

But Mowbray insists that rejecting Rangers' bid will be justified in terms of goals from Riordan and pleasing the club's support.

However, he will have another chat with Riordan before deciding whether the forward will face Rangers in the Scottish Cup on Saturday.

"I will watch him in training to see how he is and I'll have a chat with him to see what his thoughts are," said the manager.

"You can lose focus if you see your name in the papers.

"You build a relationship with all your players and you have to know which ones will brush it off and which ones you need to talk to.

"I remember when I was 21 and there was speculation regarding me and I know it can be unsettling.

"Derek just wants to play and he has a frustration and disappointment when he doesn't play, which I understand.

"But I have got to do what's best for the football club and the team.

"While Derek is our player, he will play when I think it's best for the team and when it suits the team."

Mowbray does not expect Riordan to hold a grudge against the club for not sanctioning a move to Ibrox.

"He has never knocked on my office door and said 'I want this to happen, I want to go'," added the manager.

"He has never intimated that at all. Derek just wants to play football."