Joleon Lescott reveals Rangers transfer truth over collapsed deal that flies in the face of Mark Warburton explanation

The former England defender was on the verge of a switch to Ibrox in 2016 and was even getting ready for a training session

Joleon Lescott has lifted the lid on the bizarre way Rangers pulled the plug on his transfer at the eleventh hour.

The former England defender was on the verge of a move to Ibrox nine years ago and has opened up on the collapsed deal.

Mark Warburton was in charge of the Light Blues at the time and claimed Lescott backed out of a switch due to family reasons.

The defender went on to join Aston Villa but Lescott, speaking on the latest episode of the Beast Mode podcast, said Rangers pulled out after an issue was flagged up on a scan.

He explained: “I was going to Rangers. I went up there. The manager came down, (Mark) Warburton, to meet me two weeks before. He said ‘sign here’.

“I was supposed to meet the manager and chief exec for dinner so I got there with my agent. The chief exec said he couldn’t make it as they were signing a player and he was flying in. But I was going there to sign - I’m not going there to talk.

“I’m signing so cool. Don’t see him, it’s fine. Don’t need a scan because they know my history, my reputation, my games, my availability is my medical.

“I wake up on the morning of the signing and they want to do a scan for insurance purposes so I said ‘no problem’.

“I go and do a scan, go back to the training ground and get into reception. I’m going to sign in order to train. So I go and put my kit on and I’m in the gym.

“But the manager has not come down so now I know something ain’t right.

"My agent is in the doctor’s room and he was fuming - he said they said they found something on the scan.

“I said ‘it’s fine’. I didn’t even let him finish and I said to my agent ‘come on, we’re going’.”

That flies in the face of what Warburton said at the time. The then Rangers boss said: "Personal terms were all agreed but the player just decided to keep his family in Manchester. He's well settled with three young children.

"It's absolute nonsense to say anything other than that. The fact he's up here tells you that terms were agreed and there wasn't a problem with that.

"It's a big decision on the player's part and we understand that. But it's nothing to do with what I've read in the papers.

"We know what happened, the player knows what happened. To take your three young kids out of school is a big call on his part and we respect it."