Mark Warburton exit from Rangers 'could be messy' - Alex Smith

Alex Smith heads the association representing managers in Scotland

The public fall-out between Rangers and Mark Warburton is bad for the game, the head of the League Managers Association in Scotland has warned.

Rangers said on Friday they had accepted the resignations of Warburton, assistant David Weir and head of recruitment Frank McParland.

Warburton denies he resigned and has employed the services of the LMA in England to claim compensation.

"When money is concerned, it can be real messy," said Alex Smith.

Warburton, 54, had a contract at Ibrox until 2019.

And Smith, the former Scottish Cup-winning manager of Aberdeen and St Mirren, told BBC Scotland that Warburton will be "very emotionally upset" by the manner of his departure.

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"It's a very unusual situation but one that has to get sorted out very quickly and as cleanly as possible," he said.

"They have to get the financial situation sorted in a tidy way and as soon as possible so that the new manager can come in with a clean slate.

Assistant Weir and manager Warburton took charge of Rangers in 2015

"The manager would have to detach himself from the actual conversations and the meetings because he's very emotionally upset at this stage of his life and it's better for somebody to come in in a cool and calculated way and discuss the situation with Rangers."

The LMA states on its website that among its key aims are the wish "to protect the rights and privileges of its members" and "to represent the interests of the professional football managers to The Football Association, Premier League, Football League and all the game's other governing bodies and stakeholders".

Asked how his organisation would deal with a case such as Warburton's, Falkirk technical director Smith replied: "We would get our lawyers to take up the case.

"They would find out all the facts from both sides and try to come to a reasonable conclusion to tidy it all up.

"Nobody gains by it dragging on and somebody being selfish at one end. They have to get together and sort it out for both parties."