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Rangers Confirm Pre-Contract Signings Of Crooks & Windass.


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ACCRINGTON Stanley owner Andy Holt has confirmed Rangers are making moves to sign Matt Crooks and Josh Windass .

Holt took to Twitter to reveal the Ibrox club have made contact with the pair, who are both out of contract at the end of the season.

Holt posted: "I have been informed today that rangers are talking to Josh and Crooksey about a move from end of season. This is unsolicited and is being done under FIFA international."

Learn everything you need to know about the pair below.
Josh Windass

The Accrington midfielder comes from good stock as his dad is former Aberdeen striker Dean Windass. Like his old man he has an eye for goal, having netted 11 times for the League Two side this season.

Windass is now in his third season at Accrington after arriving on a free following a spell with non-league Harrogate Railway after leaving Huddersfield. His scoring knack has only been discovered recently as the youngster netted his first goal for the club back in February. Since then has been in deadly form, showing the kind of finishing prowess that endeared his dad to Dons fans .

Warburton will be glad to know Josh hasn’t shown any signs of the temper that landed his father in trouble with the SFA during his time at Pittodrie. Windass Snr was infamously sent off three times in a game at Dundee United in 1997 but Josh has only been booked three times in his entire career.

Josh’s deal with Accrington expires in the summer so he wouldn’t cost too much and dad Dean has already hinted that he will move in January . But Rangers could face competition for a man Stanley boss John Coleman rates in the £1million bracket.
Matt Crooks

The utility man’s career has plenty in common with Accrington team-mate Windass as they are both 21 and arrived at Stanley after a spell with Huddersfield. But Crooks is more concerned with stopping the opposition scoring rather than bulging the net himself as he has spent most of his days as a defender or defensive midfielder.

He certainly got a good grounding in the game, starting out in Manchester United’s famous academy before moving to Huddersfield and turning pro. He was so highly rated at Town that he was nominated for League One Apprentice of the Year, eventually missing out to Charlton's Jordan Cousins.

After loan spells with Halifax and Radcliffe Borough, Huddersfield boss Mark Robins decided to throw Crooks into the first team at the start last season. But his debut turned into a disaster as they lost 4-0 to Bournemouth and Robins was axed , with Crooks never playing for them again.

He bounced back during a loan spell with Accrington and eventually moved there permanently, impressing so much that boss Coleman tipped him to strike it rich in the game.

He said: “There are just a couple of things he could iron out, and he’d be a millionaire, because there are millionaires who haven’t got his talent or his physique.”

Very excited about this! Hopefully we get them signed up soon. Would be some coup imo.

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From STV website

"Accrington Stanley chairman Andy Holt confirmed on Twitter that the Glasgow club has made a move for Windass and Crooks, complaining at the Ibrox side's approach."

When actually what he said was "This is unsolicited and is being done under FIFA international regs 2/3, regs I don't agree with".

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From STV website

"Accrington Stanley chairman Andy Holt confirmed on Twitter that the Glasgow club has made a move for Windass and Crooks, complaining at the Ibrox side's approach."

When actually what he said was "This is unsolicited and is being done under FIFA international regs 2/3, regs I don't agree with".

Not like the journalists at the Daily Courageous to get their facts wrong, especially when it concerns Rangers.

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Looking very good indeed. I would assume that would be our January business done by the end of the week if these two go through. I think they will come, obviously the lure of Rangers, trophies etc and the fact both would be coming together would be a big plus as for starters they would know each other.

We are really starting to build and kick on now. Loving it.

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Looking very good indeed. I would assume that would be our January business done by the end of the week if these two go through. I think they will come, obviously the lure of Rangers, trophies etc and the fact both would be coming together would be a big plus as for starters they would know each other.

We are really starting to build and kick on now. Loving it.

Prolly be a pre contract or we woulda went through the board first.

If we did by them tho I would be happy with the squad

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Prolly be a pre contract or we woulda went through the board first.

If we did by them tho I would be happy with the squad

Never thought of that actually. So because were talking to them directly it means were looking for pre contracts because otherwise we would agree fees with their board first before talking to them if we were to sign in January?

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Never thought of that actually. So because were talking to them directly it means were looking for pre contracts because otherwise we would agree fees with their board first before talking to them if we were to sign in January?

The guy is annoyed because if they go to us on a pre contract they will lose out on a development fee unlike if an English side signed them due to Fifa rules.

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The guy is annoyed because if they go to us on a pre contract they will lose out on a development fee unlike if an English side signed them due to Fifa rules.

Interesting. I assume were doing nothing wrong here? Can't imagine MW conducting his business in any unethical way at all.

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I'm sure he was more of a midfielder last year, but this year at striker hes had 11 in 25 games which is an alright record a for a team like Stanley.

Maybe, but still doesn't fill me with any hope. We need a natural finisher, not some guy that scores in a goal in more than every other game in England's lowest division.

I daresay that Nicky Clark would have a better scoring record if he was playing in the same team.

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