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MARK WARBURTON is ready to hand battle-hardened veteran John Eustace a two-year deal next week after insisting yesterday the 35-year-old would be a ‘great leader for us’.

The Rangers boss has assessed the former Watford and Derby County captain in training over the past three weeks as Eustace has worked on regaining his fitness levels after missing the last few months of the previous campaign with a knee injury.

Eustace is now nearing the required level of fitness and will almost certainly become Warburton’s eighth signing and could even be handed the captain’s armband.

Lee Wallace led the team out against Hibs last week and will do so against Peterhead in the League Cup tomorrow - and the defender was the player chosen to represent Rangers in a captain’s photocall organised by new league sponsors Ladbrokes earlier in the week.

(Image: GETTY)

But Warburton has refused to name the club’s permanent skipper and if Eustace is signed he will be a serious contender for the honour.

Asked about Eustace yesterday, the Rangers boss said: “John has trained well and he had his most intense session yet last Tuesday. He has joined the group on Monday and it is great to see.

“John is a very talented player and a model professional off the pitch. He would be a great leader for us, along with the likes of Kenny Miller, Cammy Bell and Lee.”

Meanwhile, Warburton sidestepped a question on whether Rangers would offer Hibs midfielder Scott Allan a pre-contract deal in January if the Easter Road club sticks to its guns and refuses to sell him to their rivals.

He said: “Scott is a Hibs player and I keep saying that. Rangers as a club will always be looking for quality additions, we have to. Any club with ambition has to add quality to its ranks. If that quality becomes available, we will make a move. If the quality becomes available and we are in a position to go for it, fantastic. If not, we have got a good squad of players.

“From Rangers’ perspective, we must always be looking to add quality. We have got our targets and we know as a football department what we want to do. To achieve those targets, we have to add quality when it does become available.”

Meanwhile, the club has taken a step towards being re-listed on the stock market by appointed Peterhouse Corporate Finance as ISDX corporate adviser.