Fergsuon was the unlikely name attached to transfer speculation

Rangers boss Walter Smith says Newcastle United have not been in contact regarding the availability of skipper Barry Ferguson.

Smith contradicted Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear, who claimed the Premier League club had made enquiries about Ferguson.

"If the comments are accurate then it is strange," said the Rangers boss.

"As far as my chairman, my chief executive and myself are concerned, there's been no contact with Newcastle or any other club regarding Barry."

However, the Rangers boss admitted that if a club were to make a substantial bid for Ferguson then they would have to consider it.

"I have no influence over who wants to bid for any of the players at Rangers," Smith said after his side's 3-0 defeat of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

"But what football manager can say that if somebody comes along and makes a bid for one of their players that they won't consider it.

"You have to and that is what we did with Alan Hutton and if anybody comes in then we will give them an answer, but so far the only offer we have had is for Alan Gow from Wolverhampton."

The Ibrox manager stressed that it is his fringe players who he is willing to sell rather than his star players like Ferguson.

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"The players that are looking to move on are the ones who are outside of the group and are unhappy about not playing," he said.

"However, all I keep reading about is speculation regarding players who are playing."

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