Tuesday's Scottish gossip

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson has revealed that he rejected the chance to become the Scottish champions' manager this summer after the departure of Neil Lennon. (Sun, print edition)

England manager Roy Hodgson, who coached Ronny Deila when the Celtic manager was a player at Viking Stavanger, has backed the Norwegian to be a success with the Scottish champions. (Daily Mail, print edition)

Celtic have won the race for Stefan Scepovic, having agreed a £2.3m fee with Sporting Gijon, and hope to parade the Serbia striker as their new signing in the next 24 hours. (Daily Express, print edition)

Hungarian Viktor Kassai will referee Celtic's play-off second leg against Maribor having twice been in charge of Champions League defeats for the Glasgow side, against Benfica and Villareal. (Daily Express, print edition)

Former Dundee United, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and Scotland midfielder Billy McKinlay, presently Northern Ireland's assistant manager, will have talks with Huddersfield Town about being the English Championship club's new team boss. (Mirror, print edition)

Billy McKinlay was Martin Jol's assistant at Fulham and is now being linked with Huddersfield

Scotland and Hull City midfielder Robert Snodgrass has had knee surgery and hopes to be back playing before the end of the season. (Sun, print edition)

Hull City have not given up hope of signing Jordan Rhodes even though Blackburn Rovers insist the 24-year-old Scotland striker is not for sale. (Hull Daily Mail)

Dutch free agent Donovan Deekman, who has been released by Sparta Rotterdam, will play for St Johnstone as a trialist in a closed-doors game against Aberdeen as the 26-year-old striker attempts to win a contract with the Perth club. (Sun, print edition)

St Johnstone striker Steven MacLean has been fined by his club having picked up a booking for hauling off his top to celebrate his late weekend winner against Aberdeen. (Daily Express, print edition)

Rangers manager Ally McCoist wants to postpone his side's Petrofac Training Cup quarter-final against East Fife on 6 September as a result of international call-ups. (The Herald)

Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson is poised to field his reserves in the Edinburgh side's League Cup tie against Stenhousemuir despite suffering a Petrofac Training Cup defeat by Livingston last week with a team of youngsters. (The Scotsman)

Alan Stubbs, the Hibernian head coach, has insisted that he would not risk short-changing the Edinburgh club's supporters by selecting a team of unfamiliar youngsters for the Edinburgh side's League Cup tie against Dumbarton. (The Herald)

Hibernian chief executive Leeann Dempster will meet fans in three nights of consultation next week to help shape the Edinburgh club's future. (Daily Record, print edition)

Dundee United are ready to spend almost £300,000 of the transfer fees they received for the summer sales of Ryan Gauld and Andy Robertson on upgrading their Gussie Park training complex, including a new indoor facility. (Daily Express, print edition)

OTHER GOSSIP

Controversial plans by Judy Murray and Colin Montgomerie for a tennis centre and golf course have received backing from the Lawn Tennis Association, the Professional Golfers Association and Tennis Scotland despite hundreds of people objecting to the proposal for the Park of Keir development between Bridge of Allan and Dunblane. (The Scotsman)

Top American golfer Phil Mickelson has given his seal of approval to the rota taking shape for the Scottish Open, which will be staged this year at Royal Aberdeen for the first time, before heading to Gullane next summer then returning to Castle Stuart in 2016 before probably being held at Dundonald Links in 2017. (The Scotsman)