Rangers boss Warburton open to widen scope of Petrofac Cup

Reports say the Scottish Professional Football League will explore the possibility of inviting Welsh and Northern Irish teams into the tournament along with under-20 teams from the top flight and from England.

Warburton said: “You are always looking to provide a quality of challenge. If any new measures and innovative ideas bring about an increase in the quality of challenge then I’ll always support it.

“I’m sure there are a lot of hurdles to overcome and different permissions to be granted but anything that raises the quality of competition, I’ll always be supportive of.”

Warburton’s team bid to win the competition for the first time in four attempts when they play Peterhead in the final at Hampden on April 10.