Garner off to Ipswich as Rangers cut losses

JOE GARNER last night became the first player to leave Rangers as part of Pedro Caixinha’s overhaul of his squad, the striker signing for Ipswich Town after just one season at Ibrox. The 29-year-old was bought from Preston North End last summer for a reported fee of £1.8million and played 34 times for the club, scoring ten goals in the process. However, although he enjoyed cult status with the Rangers fans due to his physical style of play, he never truly convinced that he was the prolific type of goalscorer required and the club appear to have accepted an £800,000 loss on him. With Caixinha strengthened for next season with five confirmed new arrivals, it was clear he would have to make room in his squad. Meanwhile, Hearts last night kicked out a second bid from Rangers for midfielder Jamie Walker — with the Tynecastle

club standing firm on their £1m valuation of the player. The Ibrox club are believed to have tabled an improved offer of £600,000 for the winger but were again told they were wasting their time by trying to snare the player at that level. Ian Cathro, the Hearts head coach, is said to be unwilling to sell the player, who he rates as one of the most exciting in the country, for anything less than a seven-figure sum. The player’s contract is up in a year’s time meaning that the Edinburgh club are likely to listen to offers from elsewhere providing the fee is right. Walker, 22, netted 15 times last season as the Tynecastle club really struggled in the latter half of the season, stuttering to a fifth-place Premiership finish after a bright start under former boss Robbie Neilson. However, Hearts are desperate to strengthen for the coming season and a cash windfall from the sale of Walker would help with Cathro’s rebuilding mission. Last night, Walker’s team-mate, midfielder Don Cowie, backed his club as they stood firm on their valuation of their asset. ‘Jamie Walker is our player right now,’ he said. ‘The club has made a stance with the value that they see him at. ‘He had a fantastic three-quarters of a season last year. ‘There weren’t many better in this country than him in the area he was playing — give or take Celtic players — in terms of end product and goals. ‘He was fantastic and it is only right that the club want what he is worth. We have made a firm stance. ‘What’s important for Jamie is that he does it throughout a whole season. ‘If he does that, that’s when you can start talking about Scottish recognition and the likes because he has the ability to do that. ‘He is a Hearts player and that’s all that matters right now. ‘He needs to do the best for the club and, until such time that changes, there’s not an issue.’