Broadfoot edges closer to return

Kirk Broadfoot may have taken his first steps towards a Rangers first-team return but he has refused to put a timescale on his comeback. The defender has been out since aggravating a foot injury in the Co-operative Insurance Cup final defeat to Celtic in March.

The 25-year-old edged closer to his long-awaited return when he played 45 minutes of a closed-doors game against Ayr United at Murray Park on Tuesday. Broadfoot said: "I can't set a target for getting back in the first team because I might feel I'm ready but the manager doesn't.

"So for now I'm happy with reserve games and when the coaches do decide I'm ready to be part of the first team I'll be delighted. It's been a long time coming and I wasn't really expecting to play against Ayr.

"The last few weeks have been really hard and I've been doing probably the toughest training of my life. I've been running all day every day and I had a hard day training the day before the game and came in from that and was told I would be playing.

"I wasn't about to turn round and say no because I was happy to be involved and it was good to get 45 minutes under my belt.

"It's good to get a taste of it again and although the first game back always feels a little different, once you get it out of the way you can kick on from there.

"All the work has been about getting back to play and I just hope now that I don't have any reaction after the game and I can go and train with the boys again. There have been highs and lows along the way because it's a strange injury but, hopefully, this is the end of it now."

Broadfoot says that he is now fitter than ever and admits he was desperate to have a bigger part to play in the practice match but reluctantly listened to the advice of the club's medical staff.

He told the Rangers website: "Fitness-wise it's probably the best I've ever felt. To be honest, the training has been harder than the game was and when I came off at half-time I really wanted to go back out. But the physios put their foot down and really I'm just delighted to get 45 minutes under my belt."

The former Sheffield United defender Craig Short has been named as the new manager of the Blades' Hungarian sister club Ferencvaros.

The 41-year-old, who first arrived at Ferencvaros as player-coach in September 2008, had been placed in temporary charge last month following the dismissal of the previous manager Bobby Davison.

Short said: "I'm delighted to take permanent charge of a great club steeped in tradition. We'll now continue planning as we were.

"I genuinely believe we can get Ferencvaros climbing the table when the season starts again after the winter break. We aim to finish in the top five," he declared.

"It's by no means an easy challenge. There have been so many problems to overcome in my short spell in charge already, but I'm determined to give it my best shot and see where that takes us."

Short, who played at centre-half for Notts County, Derby County, Everton and Blackburn Rovers, spent the final two years of his playing career with the Blades before retiring from football in 2006 to focus on his sailing business on Lake Windermere.

He played a key role in Blackburn's promotion back to the Premier League in 2001 and helped the Blades in their promotion back to the top flight in 2006.

Ferencvaros currently have four players on loan from Sheffield United: Matthew Lowton, San Wedgbury, Liban Abdi and Justin Haber, as well as three other English players, James Ashmore, Paul Shaw and Cory Sinnott.