Russell Martin ready to raid former club Southampton as Rangers manager makes £10m-rated midfielder top transfer target
PLAYMAKER Flynn Downes is top of Russell Martin's wishlist at Rangers — but he will get no favours from his old club Southampton.
Martin took Downes, 26, to the Prem with the Saints from West Ham and previously had him at Swansea.
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Russell Martin is eyeing a Saints midfielder who he knows well
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Flynn Downes has played under Martin at three different clubs
Downes could fancy the Scottish Prem over the Championship but the fee will be over £10million — which would be a big chunk of Martin's budget.
He will be busy in the transfer market after being handed £20m to overhaul the squad and may raid England a few times.
Left-back
Martin will inherit
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Veteran
Meanwhile, Martin insists he has no plans to strip
He said: 'He's been the captain for a very long time. If he's playing, I don't see any reason to change that. And if he's not playing, it will force someone else.
'First and foremost, I want to speak to him to explain to me and have a discussion about the last two years, his thoughts on the team.
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'To play here as long as he has, to be captain as long as he has, takes a lot of energy. It's not easy.
'It will be down to him in the way he performs and the way he buys into it, which I'm pretty sure he will.'
Rangers fans react to news Russell Martin is their new manager
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Kasey McAteer makes case for Republic of Ireland future with goal on first start after Leicester City setbacks
KASEY McATEER is determined to ensure that he cannot be ignored for neither club nor country. The winger marked his first Ireland start with a goal 2 Kasey McAteer scored on his first Republic of Ireland start against Senegal on Friday 2 Kasey McAteer is eager to become a regular starter for Ireland And he is determined to build on increased minutes for McAteer is planning to stay with the Foxes despite interest from Sunderland, despite believing it can be sometimes harder for a player who has come through the ranks as he has done. He said: 'It doesn't matter. That's the plan. read more on football 'I mean, I've been at Leicester since I was eight years old, so I'd never turn my back on the club. It's a club where I've grown, I've loved, I've supported. 'For now, I'm fully focused on Ireland. I'll get away in the summer, get a holiday, refresh, regroup and start preseason for Leicester fighting and get us back into the Premier League, where we deserve to be. 'Recently I have been given the chance to play and I felt like I've grown every week. 'And you only get better playing football when you're playing every week -- that's a fact. Most read in Football "So hopefully I'll keep getting games on my belt. Get back to pre-season, after our rest, and then, yeah, hit the ground running, hopefully. 'There's a lot of senior players at Leicester and I respect that. Being home-grown sometimes it is easy to overlook players like myself but I've never stopped fighting. Former Man Utd boss Louis van Gaal launches scathing attack on old side while heaping praise on bitter rivals I've kept banging down the door to get in the team. 'I got in the team, my first Premier League goal and a few good results. It wasn't enough because we were already relegated but I can personally look back with a lot of pride. 'In the Championship there will still be 25 players in that squad wanting to play so I've to be fit and strong in pre-training. I know what levels I can get to at my best so they can see me at my best.' McAteer was reluctant to be drawn on whether boss The atmosphere around the club turned sour with the pair unable to spark an improvement in results following their arrival in December. He said: 'It's not nice playing in a stadium when there's a lot of animosity and boos. They pay their hard-earned money, watching us weekly home and away, but for myself it's about taking it and learning. 'Whatever happens with the management is up to the club to decide. All we can do as players is back the manager who is in charge. 'The gaffer didn't give up on us even when we were relegated. We all tried every week. As manager, we'll fight for him so let's see what happens in the future. Brian is a top guy. I texted him on Thursday night to say I was starting. He said good luck and he'd be watching. It's great to have a fellow Irishman at the club.' Right now, the manager he is most concerned about impressing is Hallgrímsson having found himself in and out of the squad as his club fortunes fluctuated. But, with Sammie Szmodics, Chiedozie Ogbene and Mark Sykes all absent, he staked his claim. McAteer said: 'I hadn't started before and I got on the scoresheet. You want your name being thrown about in conversations around team selections. I wanted to create a ruffle. Hopefully I've done that. 'They're all top players f but I know the qualities that I have. I need to believe in myself. 'Those are top players and friends of mine so we'll all be pushing each other for a spot. Sometimes in this game, it can be everyone for themselves but I'm sure whatever happens the squad will be strong. 'The manager just said: 'Play your game.' I mean, I know at my best, I can hurt teams, and I tried to do that. I got some good balls down the side. 'Afterwards, in the dressing room, he said I've created a bit of a stir. So hopefully I can keep that going on and get myself in the starting XI.' CLUB AND COUNTRY On his previous omissions, he said: 'It was explained to me that it's because I'm not playing at my club, that obviously the boys who are playing for their club every weekend, they deserve to play for their country. 'And I understand that. Obviously I didn't take it well, I wanted to be here. I want to play, play as many games as I can. 'I've regular contact with him, not just when squads are being announced. "But when I'm not playing, when I am playing, to see how I'm doing and stuff. And that's really good to get from a manager that's obviously behind me wanting to do well. 'When the gaffer told me I was starting I was really, really happy. And I just hoped that I would prove my best to this team, and to get my first start, my first goal gives me massive confidence. 'Hopefully, I can take that in my stride and keep growing.' His goal came after Matt Doherty and Dara O'Shea had gotten in each other's way trying to get on the end of Will Smallbone's corner before the ball was recycled by He said: 'I think it was flicked on by Nathan, I managed to keep myself onside, flicked it towards the goal. To be fair to the 'keeper, he's made a great save, but luckily for me, it's rebounded back into my path. 'I just took the touch and thought: 'Put my foot through the ball.' That's what I did. And, yeah, great to see that net bulge.' McAteer had his back to goal for the rebound meaning he had to swivel before shooting but he shrugged: 'I knew if I got the touch right, I'd be shooting in a nearly empty net. 'There was too much pace on it for the defender to keep out of the goal. So yeah, I'm really happy. 'My Mum and Dad were here so it was good to see them score my first goal on my first start. That's a moment that I'll cherish forever and they'll cherish forever, no doubt about that.'
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Kasey McAteer: 'I'd never turn my back on a club where I've grown, loved and supported'
Brian Barry-Murphy was foremost in Kasey McAteer's mind on who to contact when informed of his first Ireland start. Almost two years after Stephen Kenny first spoke about the Leicester City winger pledging his allegiance to Ireland, he finally made the team on Friday. Last September's debut against England was the first of four appearances as a substitute but this was next level. Heimir Hallgrimsson's news to the 23-year-old on the eve of facing Senegal had to be shared with a select few. Up first were his proud parents, regular attendees at club and country games, and Corkman Barry-Murphy was next on the list. He's coached McAteer since being handpicked by Foxes manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy to join him when taking over the strugglers at Christmas. The son of Leeside legend Jimmy has carved out his reputation as a stellar tutor, managing at Rochdale before having the privilege of leading Manchester City's development squad. Read More Stoke's Bosun Lawal called up to Ireland squad for Luxembourg friendly Avoiding the drop proved too much a task for Leicester but on a personal level McAteer finished the season strongly, starting six of the last eight games. 'Brian is a top guy,' he said about his mentor. 'I texted him last night to say I was starting. He said good luck and he'd be watching. It's great to have a fellow Irishman at the club.' It remains to be seen whether either will start the next Leicester chapter in the Championship. Foxes chiefs have yet to decide if they're sticking or twisting on the managerial front. Newly-promoted Sunderland were already admirers of McAteer before he crowned his first international start with his first goal but he's intent on staying loyal. 'I want to play for the club - I've been since I was eight years old,' he said about his affinity to City. 'The plan is to stay. I'd never turn my back on a club where I've grown, loved and supported. 'I want to go into pre-season for Leicester to start fighting for us to get back to the Premier League where we deserve to be. 'What I can say is I'm fully dedicated to Leicester and always will be while I'm there.' Even he seemed unsure about who'd he be reporting to when he returns from his summer break. 'Whatever happens with the management is up to the club to decide,' he said, rather diplomatically. 'All we can do as players is back the manager who is in charge. I've said before about the gaffer that he didn't give up on us even when we were relegated. We all tried every week. As manager, we'll fight for him so let's see what happens in the future.' Regardless of whether Van Nistelrooy and Barry-Murphy are retained, he's thankful for the benefits accrued from his first real string of top-flight games. 'There's a lot of senior players at Leicester and I respect that,' he outlined about the difficulty of snaffling a spot. 'Being home-grown, sometimes it easy to overlook players like myself but I never stopped fighting. I've kept banging down the door to get in the team. 'I got in the team, got my first Premier League goal (against Ipswich Town) and a few good results. It wasn't enough because we were already relegated but I can personally look back with a lot of pride.' Next year marks a decade since Leicester shocked the world by usurping the established order to win the Premier League but the atmosphere has changed with fans turning on the Thai owners. He said about the latter stages of the season: 'It's not nice playing in a stadium when there's a lot of animosity and boos. Leicester fans paid their hard-earned money, watching us weekly home and away, but for myself it's about taking it and learning. 'I didn't play every game in the Premier League so I don't take it as personal.' McAteer augmented that flourish with a splash on the international circuit. Timing is everything and producing the man-of-the-match performance in the penultimate friendly ahead of the World Cup qualifiers heightens his profile. The Icelander does have Mikey Johnston and the injured Chiedozie Ogbene to return for the opening double-header at home to Hungary and Armenia away but they won't be around either for Tuesday's visit to Luxembourg. 'The manager said in the dressing room afterwards that I've created a bit of a stir,' he revealed about the impact of schooling the slick Senegalese for large spells. 'That's what I wanted coming in. You want your name being thrown about in conversations around team selections – it was about creating a ruffle. 'Before the World Cup qualifiers, Luxembourg are up first and we won't take them lightly. 'There's quality players competing for the position but I know the qualities that I have too. I need to believe in myself and whatever will be, will be. 'Sometimes in this game, it can be everyone for themselves but I'm sure whatever happens the squad will be strong.'
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Heartache as ‘loving' Irish dad-of-three dies ‘unexpectedly' in Wales & tributes pour for ‘very lovely young man'
TRIBUTES are being paid to a "loving" Irish dad-of-three who died "unexpectedly" in Wales last month. Ian McCormack, a 32-year-old originally from Drogheda Advertisement His family shared a heartfelt death notice describing him as a devoted It reads: "Ian Mc Cormack, Abercynon, Wales (formerly of North Road, Drogheda), unexpectedly at the age of 32 on 14 May 2025. "Loving dad to Ellie, Myri and Ciarán; beloved son of Brendan and Theresa, and dear brother to Martin." The notice added: "Ian will be sadly missed by all his family, including Steph, Emma and José; also by his relatives and friends in Wales and Ireland." Advertisement READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS News of the dad's death has left both Ian was known for his And the band have since paid their respects and shared fond memories on social media. They said: "All at Drogheda Brass Band were saddened to hear of the passing of our former trombone player Ian McCormack suddenly in Wales. Advertisement MOST READ IN IRISH NEWS Exclusive "We remember him fondly from his time with us, most especially at the European Brass Band Championships in Oostende, Belgium, in 2009. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time. Rest in peace." Friends, neighbours and others who knew Ian have also recalled the honesty and warmth he brought into their lives. One friend said: "Dear Martin and Family, though I haven't met you all, I've known Martin for a long time and am grateful to call him my true friend. Advertisement "I was deeply saddened to hear about your loss. Losing someone so young is incredibly hard, and my thoughts are with you all, especially the children, during this difficult time. "Martin's honesty, strength, and kindness reflect the family he comes from. I hope you find comfort and support in one another as you navigate this. "Please know you're in my thoughts and if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know." FUNERAL DETAILS Another friend wrote: "To Martin and the whole family, my deepest condolences with the loss of Ian. Advertisement "To lose someone who was a father, a son and a brother is devastating. I hope the whole family can find comfort and support with each other through these difficult times." A third commented: "We were very sad to hear this news. Ian was a very lovely young man. Thinking of his family at this tragic time." He will be reposing at Townley's Funeral Home in Drogheda this Wednesday, from 3pm to 7pm. Ian's Funeral Mass is scheduled for Thursday at 11:30am in Our Lady of Lourdes Church, followed by burial at Newtown Cross Lawns Cemetery. Advertisement Those who can't be there in person will still be able to watch the service live at . 1 Ian McCormack sadly passed away in Wales last week Credit:
