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Rangers duo quit Ibrox

SoccerNews in Scottish Premier League 6 Mar 2012

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Gregg Wylde and Mervan Celik have become the first players to leave Rangers as the club attempt to resolve their current financial crisis.

The midfielders, 20 and 21 years old respectively, had offers accepted to depart the Glasgow club without redundancy pay after initial talks over player wage cuts collapsed.

Administrators Duff & Phelps put forward a pay-restructuring plan to the squad in an effort to save one million pounds a month as the club attempt to find a way of paying off debts which could reach 75 million pounds.

It is believed that the number of redundancies could reach 11 before the crisis is resolved.

Speaking to BBC Scotland, Wylde explained: “I volunteered to walk with no redundancy package today to help the other people in the club who have families, like the kitchen staff.”

“I offered to walk away yesterday and the club told me today that they would accept that offer. At the moment I have nowhere to go and I don’t have another club.”

“I don’t know what is going to happen next but I thought it was important to play my part in saving Rangers.”

The news follows the squad’s decision to reject a pay restructuring programme which would have seen the highest earners take a 75 per cent wage cut, middle-earners a 50 per cent cut and a 25 per cent drop in the salary for lower earners.

Duff & Phelps set Monday as a deadline for a decision, but this was put off after the squad requested more time to consider another proposal.

Paul Clark, joint administrator, said in a statement issued on Monday: “Everyone involved in the administration process has been attempting to reach a consensual solution in regard to job losses within the playing squad.”

“The prime reason for this has been to achieve essential cost savings while preserving the fabric of the first team.”

“This has not been an easy balance to strike and we would like to thank the manager Ally McCoist, his players and the PFA Scotland for attempting to find a solution that would be workable for all. Every realistic option is being explored.”

“Regrettably, it has not been possible thus far to reach a consensus where players could accept the necessary level of wage cuts to prevent job losses within the squad.”

“We do not for a moment criticise the players for this as the wage reductions that would be required are very substantial and would have a significant impact on each individual.”

“For clarity, we cannot enforce wage cuts. The players have to agree to this course of action.”

“The players have asked us to consider a final proposal overnight for discussion in the morning and we have agreed to this request.”

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