Scottish Gossip: Celtic, St Mirren, Dundee United, Dundee, Clyde

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Experienced Greek coach Savas Pantelidis, the 50-year-old who was most recently in charge of Greek Superleague club Levadiakos, has applied for the manager's job at St Mirren following Ian Murray's resignation, with assistant manager Alex Miller making it clear he has no desire to take the job full-time after being placed in temporary charge. (The Scotsman)

Former Rangers midfielder Alex Rae will be on St Mirren's shortlist of targets to replace Ian Murray as manager, with former Buddies midfielder Jamie Fullarton, presently assistant to Dougie Freedman at Nottingham Forest, also keen to talk to the Paisley club. (The Sun)

Former Aberdeen and Hibernian boss Alex Miller, who managed St Mirren for three seasons from 1983, insists he has not even thought of taking charge permanently in Paisley after being named caretaker following Ian Murray's resignation on Saturday. (Daily Record, print edition)

Clyde manager Barry Ferguson, the former Rangers and Scotland captain, has overtaken former Aberdeen, Dunfermline Athletic and Kilmarnock boss Jimmy Calderwood as the bookmakers' favourite to take over at St Mirren after Ian Murray stepped down on Saturday. (Daily Record)

Alex Rae (right) is being linked with the manager's job at St Mirren

BBC Scotland football reporter and pundit Chick Young, a St Mirren fan, is currently leading a Daily Record poll on who should be the Scottish Championship club's new manager, ahead of Barry Ferguson, Jimmy Calderwood, Billy Davies, Kenny McDowall, Ian Ferguson and the Paisley Panda. (Daily Record)

Brighton, who lead the English Championship, have joined Rangers in tracking Dundee striker Greg Stewart and had a representative watching Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Motherwell. (The Sun)

Rangers' Andy Halliday has revealed that there were angry words exchanged in the Ibrox dressing room after the Scottish Championship leaders were held to a 2-2 draw by Greenock Morton, but the midfielder thinks it will help clear the air and improve performances. (The Times)

Russia want to play Scotland in a friendly ahead of the Euro 2016 finals next summer as they view Gordon Strachan's side as an ideal warm-up for facing England and Wales after being drawn together in Group B. (Daily Mail, print edition)

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill will seek advice from counterpart Gordon Strachan after being drawn in the same group as Germany and Poland, who were in Scotland's qualifying group, for the Euro 2016 finals, the former Brechin City boss having already spoken to Republic of Ireland assistant boss Roy Keane. (The Herald)

Celtic defender Emilio Izaguirre paid an emotional tribute to murdered former Rangers midfielder Arnold Peralta ahead of Sunday's win over St Johnstone, the full-back, who was a close friend and team-mate in the Honduras national side, wearing a T-shirt with a message in memory of his fellow countryman and a black armband with the No12, Peralta's number for his country. (The Herald)

Celtic manager Ronny Deila praised the character and professionalism of Emilio Izaguirre after the grief-stricken defender played against St Johnstone while mourning his Honduran compatriot, Arnold Peralta, who was shot dead last week. (The National)

Dundee striker Greg Stewart is being linked with Brighton and Rangers

Dick Campbell, who lost his title as the longest-serving manager in Scottish football when he was dismissed by Forfar Athletic on Saturday, has admitted to feeling humbled by the messages of support he has received from the League One club's fans. (The Scotsman, print edition)

Jackie McNamara, sacked by Dundee United earlier this season, has insisted he is not panicking after his York City side dropped to the bottom of England's League Two following a club record ninth consecutive defeat. (The Press)

Dundee United defender Callum Morris has refused to accept that the Tangerines are the worst team in the Scottish Premiership despite Mixu Paatelainen's men being eight points adrift at the foot of the table after losing 1-0 to Partick Thistle at Tannadice on Saturday. (Daily Record)

Hearts midfielder Sam Nicholson has refused to blame Jordan McGhee for the 1-0 defeat by Aberdeen, saying even Argentine superstar Lionel Messi makes mistakes after the defender's hand ball gave Adam Rooney the opportunity to score the winning goal from the penalty spot. (The Scotsman)

OTHER GOSSIP

Ferguslie have snapped up 18-year-old rising South African left-handed batsman Hannes Venter. (The Scotsman, print edition)

A bunch of Edinburgh's 31 out-of-contract players will be sweating on their chances of earning new contracts after head coach Alan Solomons' gamble of playing a number of fringe players failed spectacularly with a 38-6 defeat by London Irish in the European Challenge Cup. (The Herald)

Heriot's coach Phil Smith insists it was a "fair contest" despite his reigning champions losing 20-8 to an Ayr team that fielding five professionals to take over as favourites to win Scottish Premiership title. (The Herald)

Colin Montgomerie will head into 2016 one win away from clocking up 50 victories as a professional after ending the current year in style with a three-shot success in the European Senior Tour's MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius - the Scot's third title of the season. (The Scotsman)

Four Scots won team medals with Great Britain at the European Cross Country Championships at Hyeres in the south of France, with Laura Muir and Maddie Murray winning gold, while Steph Twell helped her team win the senior women's race and Luke Traynor collected silver with the GB under-23 men's team. (The National)

Laura Muir saw an opportunity to finally earn a maiden international medal evaporate in the chill of southern France as she came fourth at the European cross-country championships. (The Scotsman)

Mark Stewart has targeted a professional career after becoming the first Scottish male track cyclist to win an individual World Cup gold medal for since Chris Hoy in February 2012, the 20-year-old taking victory in the scratch race at the Avantidrome in Cambridge, New Zealand, last weekend. (The Scotsman)

Furious Ryan Finnerty got the reaction he was looking for from his Braehead Clan after the agony of a defeat by Nottingham Panthers was blown away thanks to a 10-2 thrashing of Edinburgh Capitals. (The Herald)