Rangers caretaker manager Kenny McDowall is being forced to play five unwanted Newcastle players who have been sent on loan to the club.

With billionaire Newcastle owner Mike Ashley holding a 8.92 per cent stake in Rangers, there were bound to be some conflicts of interests and it seems Ashley has played his hand.

Haris Vuckic from Slovenia, English defender Remie Streete, Burundi-born Gael Bigirimana, Swiss defender Kevin Mbabu and Northern Ireland winger Shane Ferguson have all made the trip up north until the end of the season.

And McDowall revealed that he has no choice but to play all five Toon rejects if fully fit.

He said: “On Monday night I got a call from Derek (Llambias, Rangers chief executive and Ashley’s right-hand man) saying he had secured five players on loan.

“Three of them arrived and two of them will be coming the next three or four weeks — they are injured.

“When I was given the job I was told players incoming and outgoing wouldn’t be my responsibility.

“I take the team and coach the team and I am more than happy to get on with it.”

When asked if he was duty-bound to play them he replied: “Yes.”

Then asked if he had to play every one of them every week, he again, replied: “Yes. They are obviously good players — they play for Newcastle — but I will carry on and do what I am told to do.”

McDowall was also asked how the dressing room might be affected and replied: “That’s the nature of being at a big club. There are always new players arriving at big clubs and it is something the players will have to deal with.

“I would like to think the players would be professional and do their jobs.

“I have been told what to do and I have told them I am more than happy to carry out what they have told me, so I don’t have a problem with it at all.”

He said Rangers players had not been told “but will know now, obviously.”