JOHN Coleman expects Matt Crooks and Josh Windass to remain with Accrington Stanley for the rest of the season, despite the pair yesterday signing pre-contract agreements with Scottish giants Rangers for a summer move.

There has been a suggestion north of the border that Rangers are preparing a £400,000 swoop to land the Reds duo six months ahead of schedule.

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But Coleman says the club has not had any contact with the SPFL side, other than an email informing them of the pre-contract arrangement.

“I told them they weren’t going to leave until the end of the season, and that’s still the position,” said Coleman.

“I said three months ago that they were free to do what they want in January because the minute they didn’t sign the new contracts that we offered them, which were unbelievable for a club of our size, I knew they weren’t going to sign and they were going to go in the summer, so nothing’s changed.

“I’m not churlish enough to know that every player’s got his price and if a price comes that we can’t turn down, well then we don’t turn it down, but I can’t see that happening so they’ll be Accrington players until the end of the season.

“We’ve had no dialogue with anybody. We got an email off Rangers informing us very curtly that their intention was that they were going to speak to the players with a view to signing them at the end of the season, and that was it.

“It was a three-line email, and that’s all we’ve heard.

“But my perspective on the season hasn’t changed.

“They’ve only agreed to sign them at the end of the season, so it’s business as usual for me. And my focus is on the Notts County game on Saturday.

“What happens between now and the end of the season is all I’m focusing on.”

Coleman had not spoken to the players before this morning’s press conference at the Wham Stadium, but both were expected to be involved in today’s training session in preparation for Saturday’s visit of Notts County, although Windass has been struggling with a groin problem.