Rangers have replaced Mark Warburton as manager with under-20 coach Graeme Murty ahead of Sunday's Scottish Cup tie with Greenock Morton. The Scottish Premiership club say they have accepted the resignations of Warburton, assistant David Weir and head of recruitment, Frank McParland. But Warburton, who took charge in 2015, told BBC Scotland he has not stood down and was unaware of the statement. And the 54-year-old Englishman is consulting his legal team. The BBC has learned that Warburton had contact with Nottingham Forest around 10 days ago and was high on the English Championship club's list of possible managers. However, he was not offered the job and they decided to retain their interim team of Gary Brazil and Jack Lester until the end of the season. Warburton, who had a contract at Ibrox until 2018, had taken Rangers' training on Friday as normal ahead of Sunday's fifth-round tie.

He had earlier in the morning defended McParland's record of signings after media criticism of the Glasgow club's recruitment. "At a meeting with the management team's representative earlier this week, the club were advised that Mr Warburton, Mr Weir and Mr McParland wished to resign their positions and leave the club on condition that Rangers agreed to waive its rights to substantial compensation," said Rangers' statement.

Rangers claim that Warburton's representative attempted to alter the the terms. "A further board meeting was held this afternoon to discuss this and it was decided not to agree to this additional request but to hold with the original agreement," he said. "Mr Warburton, Mr Weir, and Mr McParland have therefore been notified in writing that their notices of termination have been accepted." Rangers lie third in the Scottish top flight, but they are a distant 27 points behind city rivals and reigning champions Celtic and their statement went on to suggest that the management team have not reached the targets set. "The board is very appreciative of the good work previously done by the management team but believes it had no alternative," it added.

"Our club must come first and absolute commitment is essential. "It is important that Rangers has a football management team that wants to be at the club and that the board believes can take the club forward to meet our stated ambition to return to being the number one club in Scotland. "We are clearly short of where we expected to be at this time."