Evans Ends Interest In Allan

Photo by Jeff Holmes

Rotherham boss Steve Evans has called off his pursuit of Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan after being told he wants to stay in Scotland.

The highly-rated midfielder has been the subject of three failed bids by his boyhood heroes Rangers while the Millers and Wigan have also been on his trail.

But the former Portsmouth and West Brom player - who shocked his Easter Road employers when he handed in a transfer request last week - will not be moving back to England.

The 23-year-old's representatives have told Evans he will only consider offers from north of the border.

Although it was the interest from Ibrox which sparked his transfer request, Clyde Sport understands Allan - out of contract next summer - has not ruled out moving to another Scottish club.

Rotherham had been in talks with Hibs for the best part of a week in a bid to land Allan but did not get as far as lodging an official bid.

And their hopes of landing Allan have been killed off for good after Evans was told the playmaker is not prepared to uproot his young family.

"We have removed ourselves from the process in the last couple of hours," Evans said at a press conference.

"I spoke to his representatives earlier today and they made it clear that Scott wanted to stay in Scotland and I don't care if you're Scott Allan or Messi, if you don't want to come to Rotherham United, we don't want you to come.

"It wasn't a case of Rotherham, he didn't want to come to England. I have spoken to Alan Stubbs up at Hibs and I told him what the views were from Scott's representatives and he understands where we are.

"We had a certain value, certainly in excess of £400,000 to bring the young man here, but if he didn't want to come here we have to move on and we will do."

Rangers are thought to be a preparing a fourth bid for Allan, even though Hibs have ruled out the prospect of selling him to their Ladbrokes Championship title rivals, but Evans does not think the midfielder was necessarily holding out for a move to Ibrox.

"I don't think it's a case of whether it's Glasgow Rangers, he has a young family on the scene now and he wants to be close to them," the Millers boss added.

"His representatives told me he'd have been really keen and I'm the sort of manager he would like to play for, but he wants to stay in Scotland.

"We have to respect Hibs, who have been getting bids for players they don't want and that is always difficult. Stubbsy (Alan Stubbs) has been managing it well and we wish them well, Hibernian are a proper football club.

"We'd have loved to get Scotty here, but that's gone, finished, unless they come back to us."