Rangers not at war insists Edu

(GETTY IMAGES)

Maurice Edu claims reports of dressing-room unrest at Rangers have been “blown out of proportion”.

In the wake of the Ibrox club's Champions League exit and the loss to rivals Celtic of their place at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, two stories of trouble within the camp emerged.

Striker Kenny Miller and defender Madjid Bougherra reportedly had a training-ground bust-up the day before Saturday's SPL defeat at Aberdeen, after which it was reported that skipper Davie Weir and Kyle Lafferty had words in the dressing room at half-time with the Northern Ireland international replaced by Miller.

However, Edu, who is targeting the Old Firm game at Parkhead on January 3 for his first match of the season following his recovery from a knee injury, said: “It has been blown out of proportion.

“We know what's going on within our team, we know what our team morale is like and we know what the team spirit is like so it is not a concern to us.

“It is not anything we worry about.

“There is always going to be talk about things happening at any club.

“Little minor things happen, nothing major and nothing to be concerned about. You just get on with it.

“I've started training again, everyone is enjoying their football and we are all definitely on the same page in terms of we all want to get back to winning ways and performing the way we can and the next chance is this weekend, after a mishap against Aberdeen.”

The United States international tried to put a positive spin on the pent-up frustration which appears to have boiled over at Ibrox.

“Everyone has their own motivation, whether it's personal motivation or for the team,” he said.

“If it takes you to have a feud with someone or you are just self-driven, as long as it benefits the team then we will all be happy with the end result.”

Edu revealed the club are still looking for the perpetrators of the racist abuse he suffered at the hands of a few Rangers fans as he left Ibrox at the end of the 4-1 defeat to Romanian unknowns Unirea Urziceni in October.

The Light Blues midfielder, who posted his disappointment of the incident up on a social network website hours afterwards, said: “An investigation was undertaken to try and find the people who were involved.

“I'm not sure if any progress has been made but they are out there looking for them and if they are found then action will be taken against them.

“It was shocking in some ways, and it (the news of the incident) was everywhere quickly.

“It was the first time I had experienced that from my own fans.

“I know everyone wishes that it didn't happen but it did happen.

“But the fans have been great since then, they have been good

for the most part since I've been here and that was just an unfortunate incident that happened.

“It hasn't tainted my image of Scottish people, Rangers fans or fans in general.

“I've put it behind me and I'm looking to focus on playing again.”

Asked if he could be ready for the game against Celtic in the new year, Edu, speaking at Hampden where he was promoting ESPN's coverage of the Falkirk versus Rangers game on Saturday, said: “I hope so. I don't know but I hope so.

“I'm back involved a little bit and training with the team.

“Now it's just a matter of taking it day by day and not looking too far ahead, getting sharp and getting my fitness back.

“But right now the knee is feeling pretty good and hopefully I'm back sooner rather than later.”

Sourced from: The Belfast Telegraph