Rangers 'win wonderkid battle', Hibs Maolida blow, ex-SPFL star wants return, major investment - Scottish football news

Rangers have reportedly won their battle to keep highly-regarded midfielder Alexander Smith at the club. The 16-year-old, who has represented Scotland at age-grade level, has admirers south of the border, with Arsenal linked with a move for the teenager. However, it is claimed that Smith is close to penning his pro contract with the Ibrox club, with first-team manager Philippe Clement an admirer.

Mallan wants SPFL return

Former Hibs midfielder Stevie Mallan says he is ready to return to Scottish football after four years away. The 28-year-old is a free agent after his contract at Salford City expired at the end of the season and the ex-St Mirren man is eyeing up a deal north of the border. “I feel like I've done my time away,” Mallan said in an interview with Football Scotland. “Me and my missus haven't lived with each other for four years. I went to Turkey and when I went to Salford it was last minute so we couldn't fix anything. My promise was at the end of my tenure at Salford was that I'd look to come back up to Scotland, I told my agent that as well. Post-wedding we want to start a family and be living together. I do want to be back living in Scotland and playing in Scottish football.”

Thelin wants Aberdeen unity

New Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin says everyone at the club needs to pulling in the same direction as he oversees a rebuild of the Pittodrie club. Thelin is due to take over at the Dons next week and speaking in an interview with The Press and Journal, the Swede said: “We have a lot of work to do together at Aberdeen. Everyone has to be working in the same direction – me, the staff, the people inside the club and the supporters. We have to keep it in one direction and give everything we have to create success together. I think everyone is really looking forward to working together.”

Maolida: I don’t think I will come back

Myziane Maolida is not planning on a return to Hibs after a successful loan spell at the club. The Comorian has returned to Hertha Berlin after scoring 11 goals in 2024 and he told the Edinburgh Evening News: “I don’t think I will come back. But I will always be grateful to Hibernian. Grateful to the fans, the coaches, the players who helped me return to football. I will never forget this wonderful time in Scotland.”

Investment for Braves

Lowland League side Caledonian Braves have brought in close to £800,000 in investment thanks to fan-owners in 50 American states. The Lanarkshire-based club set a target of raising $750,000 US dollars (almost £600,000) by the end of July but have broken beyond that goal and say they have new shareholders from several American sports teams. Founding owner Chris Ewing decided to broaden the ownership base after modelling the club on a fan-engagement approach that sees shareholders use app-based technology to make decisions such as choosing the name, kits and other strategic decisions. “We wanted to buck the trend of needing to have billions of pounds or a private equity firm to have a say in the running of a club,” he said. “We wanted to put the fan at the heart of everything we do. The response has been terrific but I always had confidence in our vision. It shows if you build the right format, people will come and not just be a part of it but play an active part in it.”

Forrest enjoying the moment

James Forrest will take the same live-for-the-moment approach into his Scotland comeback after rejuvenating his Celtic career. The 32-year-old did not feature at all for Celtic between Christmas and March 10. But he scored five goals in nine games during the run-in and will now join up with Scotland’s provisional 28-man pool when they gather at their team hotel in Glasgow on Wednesday afternoon. “Even in the March international break, I was playing a bounce game for the ones that don’t go internationally against St Mirren at Lennoxtown,” he said. “It just shows you in football that if you keep working hard you get a chance and stuff can change. Obviously I’ve played for Scotland before as well, so it’s not anything new, but just the the way it’s happened I’ve not been in a camp for a few years. Scotland’s all about players that go there with confidence and we can feed off each other as well.”

Cameron pens new Killie deal

Homegrown striker Innes Cameron has signed a new one-year deal with Kilmarnock. The 23-year-old has made more than 50 appearances for his boyhood club since being given his debut as a teenager in April 2018. Cameron featured 16 times in the season just finished as Derek McInnes’ side secured a fourth-place finish in the cinch Premiership. The forward’s initial contract was due to expire this summer, but he has now agreed terms with the club to remain for next season. Killie confirmed last week that they remained in negotiations with Liam Polworth, Marley Watkins, Gary Mackay-Steven, Greg Stewart and Kieran O’Hara, all of whom were running out of contract. Manager McInnes recently agreed a new deal until 2027.

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