Scottish Gossip: Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, Dundee, Dundee United, Falkirk, Hibernian

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Celtic hope to appoint a successor to manager Ronny Deila by the end of May, but the process is still in its early stage, with a shortlist yet to be drawn up and Roy Keane, Martin O'Neill, Brendan Rodgers, David Moyes, Paul Lambert, Malky Mackay and Neil Lennon all still in the frame. (The Sun, print edition)

Paul Lambert has been installed as the odds-on favourite by bookmakers to become the next Celtic manager after the former Scotland midfielder confirmed he will quit Blackburn Rovers this summer.(Daily Mail)

Former Celtic midfield team-mate Stiliyan Petrov believes Paul Lambert is ready to manage the Scottish Premiership leaders as he prepares to step down from his job with Blackburn Rovers at the end of the season.(The Herald)

Kierian Tierney, the 18-year-old Celtic left-back, believes he came of age as a footballer when he stood up to the challenge of facing Nani in their Europa League game against Fenerbahce. (Daily Record)

Manager Mark Warburton believes his efforts to sign players from England have been hampered by an ongoing perception of Rangers as a club in crisis in the aftermath of their financial collapse in 2012 but is confident that their Championship title win and Scottish Cup semi-final defeat of Celtic is changing that. (The Scotsman)

Greg Stewart, the Dundee striker, is being linked with a move to Rangers

As Rangers manager Mark Warburton revealed that he is negotiating to sign 16-year-old Livingston midfielder Matthew Knox, Dundee striker Greg Stewart, another transfer target, hinted that he is ready to listen to offers from other clubs. (The Herald)

The Scottish FA has dismissed Mike Ashley as "delusional" after the Newcastle United owner was forced to drop legal action against them at the Court of Session - only to claim afterwards that he was in fact the winner because Rangers were forced to divulge documents in private about the governing body's decision to declare Dave King a "fit and proper person" to become chairman at Ibrox.(Daily Record)

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley could have to pay the legal bills of the Scottish FA and Dave King after the Sports Direct owner and Ibrox shareholder abandoned legal action against the governing body's decision to class the South Africa-based businessman as a "fit and proper person" to lead the Glasgow club. (The Herald)

Rangers defender Rob Kiernan believes that qualifying for the Champions League and challenging Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title is a realistic aim for the Glasgow club next season after winning promotion this term.(The Herald)

English right-back Shay Logan says he signed a new contract with Aberdeen for football rather than financial reasons as he is relishing the greater competition in the Scottish Premiership promised by the promotion for a Rangers side led by his former manager at Brentford, Mark Warburton. (Daily Record)

Aberdeen right-back Shay Logan says the Rangers squad led by Mark Warburton, his former manager at Brentford, is nowhere near good enough for the Scottish Premiership. (The Sun, print edition)

Head coach Robbie Neilson firmly believes that Hearts can finally erase the pain of 1986, when they lost the Scottish title to Celtic on the final day of the season, by challenging the Glasgow club for the title next season. (The Herald)

Hearts head coach Robbie Neilson has five-year plan to make the Edinburgh club Scottish champions.(The Scotsman)

Aaron Doran, 24, is close to following fellow midfielder Liam Polworth in signing a new contract with Inverness Caledonian Thistle. (Press and Journal)

Former Dundee goalkeeper Derek Soutar says he knew neighbours Dundee United were heading for a crisis when he was sacked as the Tannadice club's goalkeeping coach for celebrating a derby win by the Dark Blues on social media a year ago.(The Herald)

Former Kilmarnock manager Gary Locke is being linked with Queen of the South

Dundee goalkeeper Scott Bain has told Dundee United they have only got themselves to blame if their relegation fate is sealed by the city derby on Monday night.(The Courier)

Falkirk manager Peter Houston has dismissed as mind games suggestions that his side will crumble in their final league game on Sunday as they look to retain second place ahead of Hibernian in the Scottish Championship.(The Scotsman)

Hibernian striker James Keatings has already ensured that he will finish a third successive season in double figures for goals - for a third different team - and hopes to make it a hat-trick of promotions following success with Hamilton Academical in 2014 and Hearts last season. (The Scotsman)

Gary Locke, sacked this season by Kilmarnock, is in the frame to become the new boss of Queen of the South. (The Sun, print edition)

St Mirren manager Alex Rae has revealed that he has six weeks to find a while new squad for next season as he has 10-12 players leaving this summer. (The Sun, print edition)

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright, a close friend of Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill, insists that his decision to hand goalkeeper Zander Clark more starts before the end of the season will not hamper Alan Mannus' chances of being in their national team's squad for the European Championship finals. (The Sun, print edition)

Partick Thistle have given Stuart Bannigan two weeks to decide whether to accept a new contract after the midfielder was told he will not need surgery on an injured knee. (Eurosport)

OTHER GOSSIP

Edinburgh coach Alan Solomons accepts that it is pretty much win or bust for his side's hopes of finishing in the top six of the Pro12 in Cork on Friday as they face Munster.(The Scotsman)

British wheelchair tennis number one Gordon Reid says that competing at the Rio Olympics will be just as exciting as watching Rangers in the Scottish Cup final. (Daily Record)

Former swimming gold medallist David Wilkie has rubbished suggestions by golf veterans Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player that their sport will receive a boost from its return to the Olympics.(The Scotsman)

Alan McManus, who trails Ding Junhui in the World Snooker Championship semi-final, says the attraction of the internet means young people are not playing his sport as much and those who do are not as dedicated. (The Times, print edition)