Scottish Gossip: Celtic, Rangers, Nacho Novo, Hearts, Ross Callachan, Aberdeen

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Rangers midfielder Graham Dorrans believes things can improve for the Ibrox men after their 2-0 defeat by Celtic. "We have a number of new players and we are just working each other out at the minute," he says. "We need to stick together and we need to show what it means to us. There is good ability, we've got a strong squad." (Scottish Sun)

Former Rangers forward Nacho Novo has a positive take on his team being eight points behind Premiership leaders Celtic after seven games. "Sometimes it is not how you start but how you finish. I see a lot of improvement in the team," says the Spaniard. (Scottish Sun)

Of Rangers' Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos, Novo says: "He is a goal scorer and you need to realise he is just 21 years of age. He has a lot to learn as well, but he has a good future. In these games against Celtic there is a lot of contact, a lot of aggression. You need to deal with that. If you can't deal with that, you can't play for this club." (Daily Record)

Australia international and Celtic midfielder Tom Rogic insists his club manager Brendan Rodgers would never get involved in a touchline argument with an opposition player like Rangers rival Pedro Caixinha did with Scott Brown at Ibrox. (Daily Record)

"I think that maybe says a little bit about their situation and where they are at the moment," says Rogic of the incident. (Daily Express)

Hearts midfielder Ross Callachan is loving playing for the team he supports

Leeds United defender Liam Cooper, 26, will be recalled by Gordon Strachan to the Scotland squad on Monday for the decisive World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Slovenia next month. He was an unused substitute for friendly internationals against Denmark and Canada. (Scotsman)

Aberdeen defender Joe MacPherson, who has played for Scotland Under-16s and Under-17s has been called up by Peru. The 17-year-old, who was born in Lima, is one of two foreign-based players to be named by boss Daniel Ahmed for an Under-18s training camp. (Daily Record)

Craig Levein believes 21-year-old John Souttar is primed to develop into the complete centre-back after his latest eye-catching display helped Hearts to a 1-1 draw with Partick Thistle on Saturday. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Midfielder Ross Callachan says as a young Hearts fan his heroes were Paul Hartley and Rudi Skacel. He says: "I used to wait behind after games and wait to get autographs of the players. Hearts fans are asking me for autographs now and it's a good feeling. You can be someone's hero, like players were when I was young." (Scottish Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

Scotland's long wait for a European Tour winner goes on after Lucas Bjerregaard held his nerve to beat 36-year-old Marc Warren in the Portugal Masters. No Scot has won on tour since Richie Ramsay in 2015. (Daily Mail)

Ireland's Paul McGinley has offered to share his winning formula for the 2014 Ryder Cup with Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew as she bids to also lead Europe to golfing glory at Gleneagles. He says of the venue: "Gleneagles can be a very strategic course when it comes to team events." (Scotsman)

The economic uncertainty caused by Brexit appears to have dashed the Six Nations board's hopes of sealing a six-year £100 m title sponsorship deal to replace RBS, which ended its backing last season after 14 years. (Daily Telegraph)

Beth Potter, 25, all but sealed her shot at taking on the triathlon at the Commonwealth Games by rounding off her debut season in the sport with victory at the European Sprint Cup in Funchal. "I'm hoping that's my Gold Coast spot sorted. I had to be in the top three and I've done that," she says. (Herald)