Newcastle’s Hanley bids knocked back

BLACKBURN ROVERS manager Owen Coyle insists Scotland defender Grant Hanley is not for sale after the club rejected bids from Newcastle United for their captain.

Newcastle are said to have had offers of £3.5m and £4.5m turned down by the Ewood Park club.

The 23-year-old, who has 23 Scotland caps, was named Rovers’s player of the year last season and still has two years to run on his existing deal. Former St Johnstone manager Coyle is determined to retain the Dumfries-born player as he attempts to build a squad that can challenge for promotion in the English Championship.

He said: “Number one, I don’t want to be selling Grant Hanley.

“But obviously we can’t stops clubs from admiring our players. It’s the same with me. I admire players at other clubs and you go after them.

“But what I would also say is about Grant Hanley’s valuation as a player. I hold him in a very high esteem. I think he is a very, very good player.

“And I think it’s fair to say, in my own opinion, they are nowhere near the valuation of Grant Hanley. I don’t want to lose him.”

Meanwhile, the Football Association continues the search for England’s next manager, but it remains to be seen whether Hull boss Steve Bruce will be invited for an interview.

The process to appoint Roy Hodgson’s successor following the dreadful Euro 2016 campaign has now started, but the FA will not be rushed into an appointment.

Sam Allardyce has returned to work at Sunderland after he met with FA representatives on Tuesday, as the Barclays Premier League club made it clear they wanted the uncertainty over their manager’s position to be clarified as quickly as possible.