Football
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Former Rangers boss Ally McCoist ready to return to management

Ally McCoist says he is ready to return to management and insists his record at Rangers should not be held against him.

McCoist, 53, has been out of coaching since being sacked by Rangers in December 2014 but following a stint working as a television pundit he is actively seeking a return to a more hands-on role within the game.

There have been opportunities already, with McCoist twice coming close to landing jobs in the Championship.

He told Press Association Sport: "I had a couple of interviews with a couple of Championship clubs down south which went well. I didn't get the job unfortunately but that's fine. I got down to the last two in both instances, so I was pleased to get back into it. I've missed the job, of course I have.

"I've been involved in football all my life. I was professional for 22 years and then involved with Walter Smith and Tommy Burns at Scotland before returning to Rangers with Walter. It's my life.

"I've enjoyed the bit of time off I've had and the chance to do things I've not been able to do, like my telly work. But football is my game and I'm looking to get back managing again.''

McCoist was in charge at Ibrox when Rangers suffered financial collapse in 2012. The club's all-time top scorer remained at the club to successfully lead them to two promotions as they started their journey back towards the top, but his reign was haunted by off-field turmoil.

In the end, a combination of poor performances and a breakdown in relations with the then controlling regime saw him relieved of his first-team duties.

But McCoist believes prospective employers would be wrong to judge his Rangers CV without taking into consideration the working conditions at Ibrox.

"Anybody with any common sense would look at it and say perhaps the hand of cards I was dealt was pretty unfortunate," he said. "You could go on to say a million things about my time as Rangers boss but I don't think there's any doubt that I was probably unique in being the only Rangers manager who had to work in those circumstances. That's life. It was the dream job at the wrong time."

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