Scottish Gossip: Walter Smith, Scotland, Rangers, Celtic, Hibs, Man City, West Ham, Aston Villa

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Former Scotland manager Walter Smith has been officially invited to a sit down with the three-man Scottish FA selection committee heading up the hunt for Gordon Strachan's successor as national head coach. (Daily Record)

Walter Smith is prepared to enter talks about a return as Scotland manager, but the 69-year-old has not given any guarantees he will take the job after being approached by SFA president Alan McRae. (Scottish Sun)

Rangers manager Graeme Murty is not surprised to see Walter Smith being linked with a return to the Scotland dugout - he is only shocked that it took the SFA so long to talk to him. (Evening Times)

David Moyes is unlikely to stay manager of West Ham United next season - even if the London club avoid relegation from the Premier League. (Daily Telegraph)

Former Falkirk, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hibernian manager John Hughes has put himself forward to become Scotland's new head coach. (Daily Express, print edition)

Former Rangers and Motherwell manager Stuart McCall has emerged as a candidate for the Scotland head coach job after being sacked by English League One club Bradford City. (The Herald, print edition)

Walter Smith is being considered by the SFA for a return as head coach

Rangers chief executive Stewart Robertson says the Ibrox proved they are not in financial trouble by rejecting an £8m bid from Chinese club Beijing Renhe for striker Alfredo Morelos during January. (Scottish Sun)

Chief executive Stewart Robertson has revealed that Rangers chairman Dave King declined to sanction the transfer of Alfredo Morelos to Beijing Renhe for around £7.5m because it would have left manager Graeme Murty short of strikers for the second half of the campaign. (Daily Record)

Former Scotland right-back Alan Hutton is poised to leave Aston Villa after manager Steve Bruce admitted that the Championship club cannot afford to offer the 33-year-old a new contract at the end of the season. (Daily Record)

Celtic captain Scott Brown believes that comments from Hearts manager Craig Levein that players needed protection from the midfielder had an immediate impact on officials as he was booked in Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock. (The Scotsman)

Scott Brown's irritation at his booking at Rugby Park this weekend will grow after confirmation that the Celtic captain will now miss their next league game. (The Herald)

Stuart Armstrong is poised make an earlier-than-expected return to the Celtic squad in time for next week's Europa League meeting with Zenit St Petersburg after the midfielder had a hernia operation in the middle of January to solve a long-running injury that had been troubling him in the run up to the winter break. (Daily Record)

David Moyes' future as West Ham United manager is the subject of speculation

Celtic right-back Anthony Ralston started for their developmental squad in their 3-0 win over St Johnstone in the SFA Youth Cup as the 19-year-old returned to fitness after surgery to correct a meniscus problem. (Evening Times)

Christian Noboa has hit out at his treatment from Zenit St Petersburg coach Roberto Mancini as the Russians prepare for the Europa League visit by Celtic after the Ecuador midfielder was left out of the squad for warm-up friendlies against Red Star Belgrade and Maribor. (Daily Record)

On-loan Manchester City winger Brandon Barker is set to be sidelined until April after Hibernian confirmed that he suffered a torn hamstring in Saturday's victory over Rangers. (Edinburgh Evening News)

Former Inverness Caledonian Thistle midfielder Nick Ross, who was released by Dundee last summer, has joined Romanian top-flight newcomers Sepsi. (Daily Record)

Former St Mirren chairman Stewart Gilmour has urged the SFA to appoint Brian Caldwell, who he worked with at the Paisley club before the 49-year-old moved to Shrewsbury Town, as its new chief executive. (Scottish Sun)

Raith Rovers vice-chairman David Sinton has revealed plans to swap grass for a £500,000 plastic pitch at Stark's Park. (Daily Record, print edition)

OTHER GOSSIP

Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill believes tighthead prop Simon Berghan can do a job for Scotland during the rest of their Six Nations campaign despite the 27-year-old having not played since 23 December, when he was sent off while playing against Glasgow Warriors and subsequently banned for stamping. (The Scotsman)