Blackburn Rovers today rejected a £2.5 million bid from Rangers for Colin Hendry - but accepted he will go to Ibrox if the Glasgow club match their valuation of £5.15 million.

In a special statement from Ewood, where more meetings had been held with the player, Rovers revealed the quandary they have found themselves in after Hendry made it clear that, while he was happy at Ewood, he still wanted to join Rangers.

But sources in Glasgow claimed today that Rangers might be reluctant to go above £3 million for the player.

Rovers are unhappy about the Scottish club's attempts to unsettle the player - who has been offered a four-year contract and told he will be captain at Ibrox.

But they also know they have to be realistic, despite doing everything they can to keep the 32-year-old at Ewood, including extending his current contract by a year.

That was agreed by the player and club only last Tuesday.

Rovers are insisting, however, that if Hendry goes anywhere, it will only be to Ibrox. No other clubs will be entertained even if they exceed the valuation.

If Rangers do not agree the transfer fee, Rovers will expect Hendry to honour his contract.

Before the club had decided to reject the Rangers bid, made yesterday and described as totally unacceptable, manager Roy Hodgson revealed he was resigned to losing the player.

But he explained that if Hendry - still maintaining his silence - was determined to go then he should come out and say so. Ibrox is a special case for Hendry, who has told the club his decision has been based on family and domestic considerations.

And Rovers were still clinging to the hope today that he might stay - if the Glasgow giants do not come up with the required fee.

For Hodgson knows the problems he will face in finding a replacement for the Scottish captain who is also the fans' favourite.

But he wants players who are committed to the club.

Hodgson opened his heart on the subject after last night's game at Wolves, and before today's talks and subsequent statement, saying: "I have had quite a few talks with Colin and he has made it fairly clear to me how he feels about the situation.

"At the moment, it seems he would prefer to play in Scotland.

"But it's up to him to say that.

"At the moment he wants the best of both worlds.

"He wants to go to Glasgow Rangers and he wants us to be the ones placating the fans.

"I said to him: 'No-one wants you to go. Jack Walker definitely doesn't want you to go, I definitely don't want you to go. But if you tell me there's no way I am staying here, I don't want to play any more at this club, then I will have to come to terms with that because it's a fact of life.' "The club didn't ask for this interest. We didn't want Glasgow Rangers or anyone else to approach one of our players.

"So, therefore, the least they can do is to pay what the player is worth.

"He was one of the best centre backs in the World Cup and age cannot come into it because he has been offered a four-year contract.

"At the end of the day the decision will be down to Jack Walker and John Williams because whatever happens I cannot play football with money.

"I can only play football with players. So it doesn't matter a lot to me whether we get £1 million or £58 million.

"It is what player we get to replace him if he goes.

"Hopefully, the situation will be resolved in the next couple of days because it's not good for me or for the team two and a half weeks before the start of the season to have a situation where you don't know whether your vice-captain and a very popular player wants to play for you or not."

Hodgson will be left to sort things out if Hendry goes but he added: "That doesn't matter.

"The fact is the player either wants to play for you or he doesn't and you can do more with players who want want to play for you than with so-called better players who don't. "I think it's about time we knew where Colin Hendry really stands and I am hoping he will come out in the next couple of days and tell us where he stands and what he wants to do.

"Most of what has been going on has been clandestine and we haven't known much about it, only through Colin telling us what has been going on.

"All we knew was Colin telling us that he had been approached. We knew nothing else.

"We have to make it perfectly clear that we do not want to lose Colin Hendry. We have not welcomed the approach he has received and we would like to see him end his career as a Blackburn Rovers player.

"Now, if that is totally against his wishes, then I am afraid he has got to say so. He cannot say he wants to play for Blackburn and somebody else.

"Either he wants to play for us and to commit himself wholeheartedly to us or he wants to go.

"My attitude to players who want to go is that they can go.

"Last year they told me we couldn't survive without Le Saux and Berg, but we survived rather well.

"I don't think any one player should be bigger than the club, but at the same time you don't want to lose your best players. So I have been hoping that he would come out and say it was nice that Glasgow Rangers made me an offer, but I would like to play for Blackburn Rovers.

"At the moment the matter is out of my hands, but my attitude is that I hope he stays.

"I have not for one instance really considered the season without him. But if he doesn't want to play for us any more, like Le Saux, then maybe we will have to change our opinion and sell him for the market price."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.