Thursday's Scottish gossip

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Newcastle United manger Alan Pardew is considering a bid for £8m-rated Celtic defender Virgil van Dijk, with the 23-year-old Dutchman also on the radar for Premier League rivals Southampton, Swansea City and Tottenham Hotspur. (Daily Express)

Hull City manager Steve Bruce is considering a move for Blackburn Rovers' £12m-rated striker, Jordan Rhodes, 24, after fellow Scotsman Robert Snodgrass was ruled out for six months. (The Mirror)

Burnley have made a fresh, £5m bid for Wigan Athletic and Scotland midfielder James McArthur after their opening offer was rejected. (Daily Mail)

Virgil van Dijk is allegedly a target for Newcastle after just over a season with Celtic

Former Charlton Athletic manager Chris Powell has taken over from Hibernian, Motherwell, Rangers, Aston Villa, Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest and Scotland boss Alex McLeish as favourite to take charge of Huddersfield Town. (Huddersfield Daily Examiner)

St Johnstone have opened talks with midfielder Murray Davidson, who is battling back to fitness after knee surgery in January, over a contract extension. (Daily Express, print edition)

Stirling Albion chairman Stuart Brown has responded to criticism from Scottish Football Association performance director Mark Wotte by insisting that the League One club could not afford to join the new Forth Valley Football Academy based at the university within their own city and which involves Falkirk, Stenhousemuir and East Stirlingshire. (The Herald)

Livingston manager John McGlynn admits he was "very, very surprised" that Hearts made 10 changes to their side ahead of his team's 4-1 win over their Championship rivals in the Challenge Cup. (The Scotsman)

Falkirk striker Botti Bia-Bi faces a six-game suspension after the 18-year-old Londoner set up two goals, was sent off and allegedly head-butted two opponents after coming on as a substitute 26 minutes before the end of the Bairns' 2-1 Challenge Cup win over Dunfermline Athletic. (The Sun, print edition)

Clyde manager Barry Ferguson says he only had 30 minutes sleep after his side suffered an 8-1 Challenge Cup humiliation away to his former club, Rangers, on Monday and forced himself to watch a replay of the game twice. (Daily Record)

Scotland defender Jenny Beattie will be able to play in next month's World Cup qualifying double header against the Faroe Islands and Sweden despite being sent off in Wednesday's 1-1 friendly draw with Portugal. (The Sun, print edition)

Legia Warsaw have dismissed the administrator considered responsible for the clerical error that allowed Celtic back into the Champions League. (The Herald)

OTHER GOSSIP

Less than three years after the event's future was in doubt, the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open is now almost certain to occupy its prime pre-Open Championship slot on the European Tour until 2020 after discussions opened between the event's three partners - the European Tour, the Scottish Government and Aberdeen Asset Management - to extend the contract. (The Scotsman)

Tiger Woods pulled out of the United States' Ryder Cup team because he felt he would not have won even a point for his side at Gleneagles, with the struggling American ruling himself out of action until December in order to overcome his back problems. (Daily Record)